Soft or hard, have you ever wondered where the idea for a twisted pretzel was first born? Here is a little background on the first soft pretzel:
The most widespread story is that the first pretzels were invented by a monk in 610 A.D. During the season of Lent in northern Italy, the monk is said to have been baking unleavened bread, when he thought of a way to reward children for memorizing prayers. He twisted the dough, so it resembled arms crossed in prayer and named his creation “pretiola,†which means “little reward†in Latin. Other sources say that something similar occurred, but in a monastery in southern France.
There are also theories that the pretzel originated in Germany by a desperate baker, who would only be acquitted from a jail sentence if he could make a small cake, through which the sun could shine three times. It is said that he created the “bretzel,†which was adapted in English as the “pretzel.â€
Photo by snowpea&bokchoi