From Soft Pretzel Twists to Hard Pretzel Rods
The pretzel has a very long, and somewhat mysterious, history. Since pretzels are the base (literally) of Fatty Sundays, we wanted to share their story with you. Bonus: we've also included the history of chocolate covered pretzels.
The exact origin of the pretzel remains unknown, however we do know that The Catholic Church played a very important role in the pretzel’s early history. It was a great, easy food to eat during Lent, when meat, dairy and eggs were prohibited, since pretzels were made of a simple mixture of water, flour and salt. The first pretzels were baked as a soft bread, much like they are today. When the pretzel came to America on the Mayflower, so did the origin of the first hard pretzel. Now, hard pretzels (like our pretzel rods!) are arguably more popular than their soft counterparts. Do you agree with us that everything is better if it's covered in chocolate? We think the saltiness of our pretzels topped with the sweetness of chocolate make for a super yummy combo. It took over 900 years for someone to decide that covering pretzels in chocolate was a good idea! German baker Herr Franz Joseph Leibniz is given credit for the invention of chocolate covered pretzels, when he decided to partner up with a chocolatier in their neighborhood in Hamburg. Fascinating, right? If reading this made you hungry, order some Fatty Sundays!