Soft Pretzels

 
In 2018 we were traveling in Germany and visited a Bavarian town called Speyer. It is famous for the 1529 Protestation and the invention of the German Bavarian pretzel. 

There is religious symbolism (The Trinity) attributed to the pretzel made by the monks. For more detailed information go to https://www.bookofthrees.com/pretzel-trinity-symbol/

It was here we tasted the best-ever homemade pretzel and it was very fresh and warm. 

10 Twisted Pretzel Facts

1. Cheese sauce is by far America's soft pretzel dip of choice, mustard is a close second.

2. In Luxembourg, locals celebrate Pretzel Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent. The tradition is to give your loved one a sweet almond pretzel.

3. A pretzel without salt is called a baldy. 

4. The pretzel emoji was introduced in 2017, two years after the popcorn emoji

5. Soft pretzels have been sold from pushcarts on the streets of NYC for more than 200 years. 

6. Pennsylvania makes up a whopping 80% of the country's pretzels.

7. About two-thirds of people eat the curves of a soft pretzel first and save the knot for last.  

8. Pretzels and beer are a classic combo with two companies combing both. Captain Lawrence and Evil Genius both launched limited edition beer, brewed with pretzels during Oktoberfest.  

9. Auntie Anne of food court fame is a real person Anne Beiler. The company has more than 1,700 locations.

10. Guy Fieri's (Food Network star)  first job was running a pretzel cart on the back of his bicycle at age 10. He called it the Awesome Pretzel Cart.

Twisted facts from Food Network Magazine

I recently discovered something new for me a featured item from Food Network Magazine. 

They are low in fat and are a very satisfying snack, particularly when served with my Honey Mustard Sauce. The pretzels are salted and baked at 400 degrees for 3 minutes. 

Cook's Notes:
Takes 5 minutes to make. refrigerate any leftovers.
Mix the following in a bowl using a whisk.
1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, a dash of cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar

Another product that caught my attention was Super Pretzel Soft Pretzel Bites. They are filled with melty cheese so hard to resist eating just one.  

Oh, and don't forget to add a frosty glass of beer!