A Philly Tradition

    
     The pretzel is as much a part of Philadelphia as is the Liberty Bell.  You can purchase one (or several) on almost any corner in the City of Brotherly Love.  Slathered with bright yellow mustard they are an acceptable meal any time of the day or night.  The average Philadelphian consumes twelve times the national average of 1.5 pounds per year.  That computes to 18 pounds of pretzels!  It should come as little surprise then, since Pennsylvania is considered the center of pretzel production and produces 80% of all the pretzels sold in the United States.  They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and textures, from the thin crispy pretzel sticks to the soft chewy bread-like soft pretzels.  They are also modified into other edibles such as cones for ice cream and also sandwich slices.

     The first pretzels made in America were from the Lancaster County town of Lititz.  There the Sturgis family operated a bakery.  In 1850 one day a transient was passing through looking for work and a meal and stopped by.  Having no employment opportunities,  the owner, Julius Sturgis, provided the traveler with a hot meal and in return for his munificence was given a recipe for German pretzels.  Soon the Sturgis Bakery abandoned all their other baked goods and produced only pretzels, selling them to an ever expanding and enthusiastic audience.  Today pretzel affectionados are referred to as "pretzelphytes."

     Pretzels have a long history with a religious significance, created by a Roman Catholic order of monks in the Middle Ages.  The rolled dough was baked in the shape of crossed arms, resembling the form of a person in prayer with arms crossed across the chest.  They were given as rewards to children who said their prayers.  The word Pretzel is derived from the term braeehiola meaning "little arms."

      There are many customs associated with pretzels, some with religious connotations, and the pretzel is considered a symbol of good luck and good furtune.  That is why they are given and received on New Year's Day and often worn around a person's neck on that day.  there are also special pretzels that are made for certain Lenten observances, especially Palm Sunday.  April 26 is also National Pretzel Day in the U.S.  And there is even a Pretzel museum to document the history and consumption of this beloved Philadelphia icon.

     Did you know that a soft pretzel without salt on it is called a "baldy"?