Much of the information we have about the pretzel is based
more in fiction than in fact. We can pinpoint some of the history of the
pretzel, but we are unable to tell exactly who made the first one. It’s likely
that Roman legions carried biscuits that were similar in texture to pretzels,
but we don’t know for sure if the bread was the same kind. What we do know is
that the pretzel played an important role during lent, when Christians were
abstaining from eggs.
The word “pretzel” has a few possible origins. In German,
the word is bretzel, which is directly related to brachiatellum or “bracelet”
in Latin. The word is often misspelled with a “P” when translated to English,
which could explain the English origin of the word. There is also a reference
to the Latin word for gift, “pretium,” which would make sense considering the
bread was given to children.
You can’t go back to 7th century Europe in search
of an authentic recipe for pretzels. Some painters imagined that the pretzel
dated back to Biblical times, so there might be pretzels hidden inside of
paintings of the Last Supper.
Settlers from Northern Europe introduced pretzels to America
through the Pennsylvania area, where populations were largely German. It’s
likely that the Dutch brought the first pretzels to America, and we do know for
certain the Philadelphia is the first place in recorded history where we see
mustard on a pretzel.
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