12 Facts About Soft pretzels

Salt is the most common seasoning, or topping, for Soft pretzels, complementing the washing soda or lye treatment that gives Soft pretzels their traditional skin and flavor acquired through the Maillard reaction.

Varieties of pretzels include soft pretzels, which should be eaten shortly after preparation, and hard-baked pretzels, which have a long shelf life.

In Germany, there are stories that Soft pretzels were the invention of desperate bakers held hostage by local dignitaries.

Pretzel baking has most firmly taken root in the region of Franconia and adjoining Upper German-speaking areas, and Soft pretzels have been an integral part of German baking traditions for centuries.

Lye Soft pretzels are popular in southern Germany, Alsace, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland as a variety of bread, a side dish or a snack, and come in many local varieties.

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Some bakeries offer Soft pretzels made of different flours, such as whole wheat, rye or spelt.

Yet, in some parts of Bavaria, especially in lower Bavaria, unglazed "white" Soft pretzels, sprinkled with salt and caraway seeds are still popular.

In southern Germany and adjoining German-speaking areas, Soft pretzels have retained their original religious meanings and are still used in various traditions and festivals.

The town of Weidenberg celebrates the "Pretzel weeks" during the carnival season when anise flavored Soft pretzels are served with special dishes such as cooked meat with horseradish or roast.

Hard Soft pretzels originated in the United States, where, in 1850, the Sturgis bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania, became the first commercial hard pretzel bakery.

Snack food hard Soft pretzels are made in the form of loops, braids, letters, little Soft pretzels, or sticks around.

In Europe, snack-food Soft pretzels are usually sprinkled with salt, but with sesame seed, poppy seed, or cheese.