History of the Pretzel
Get a taste of the traditional German pretzel...Frankenmuth-style.
Did you know that German immigrants were the first to bring pretzels to the U.S?
Tap into Frankenmuth’s cultural roots by becoming a German baker for a day. The pretzel-rolling experience at The Bavarian Inn Bakery offers a hands-on experience your family will never forget. This is an excellent activity for large private groups of visitors and is available per request. Be sure to have your camera ready for silly selfies and before and after shots!
The pretzel-rolling experience is offered by advanced reservation. Call ahead to 1-800-BAVARIA to see if there's space available on the day of your visit!
The entire experience runs for about one hour and includes a demonstration, building, and baking time. Baking experts will lead you through proper pretzel-rolling techniques and help you along as you build your own pretzels. There’s nothing quite like biting into doughy warm pretzels that you’ve just baked and at the end of the class, you’ll get to enjoy your hot, fresh twisted treats.
Here are some interesting pretzel history and facts to chew on, while you’re waiting for your pretzels to rise:
How did pretzels initially get their shape?
Legend has it that a pretzel’s shape of interlocking loops was first created by Italian monks around 600 A.D. The symmetrical loops are meant to represent the crossed arms of a person praying.
How did pretzels get their name?
Italian Monks are thought to have created pretzels as rewards for children who learned their prayers. They called the treats pretiola, which means “little rewards.” There are other stories and legends that suggest pretzels were originally called “bracellae,” which means “little arms” in Latin. Germans are believed to have derived the word “bretzel” from this term.
What is the history of the pretzel?
In the Catholic church, pretzels became associated with Lent because their simple ingredients made them an acceptable choice when meat, dairy, and eggs were prohibited. Pretzels were also commonly distributed to the poor. In the 1500s, while invading Ottoman Turks attempted to tunnel underneath Vienna, Austria, monks were baking pretzels in the basement of a monastery. The monks heard the invader’s noise and alerted city officials. The Austrian emperor then rewarded these pretzel makers with a coat of arms!
When were pretzels brought to America?
The first German immigrants and settlers in the U.S. brought pretzels over with them from Europe and these doughy treats were even used in early trade with Native Americans. We hope you get to try pretzel-making when you’re in Frankenmuth. For more information, visit the Bavarian Inn Bakery website and consider all of their tasty activities including Strudel Making, Building A Chocolate-Covered Pretzel, Chocolate Cluster Baking, and Cookie Decorating.
