Where did pretzel get its unique shape from? 

Have you ever had a pretzel? It’s after all one of the most popular munchies in the world. For those unaware, imagine a glazed cracker or a toasted bread made from dough, having the shape of a loose knot. They can either be salted or sweetened, and come in both soft and hard forms.  

Now, think about this: Why exactly does a pretzel have the signature shape resembling a knot? In fact, this unique shape is nothing but a symmetrical loop which is created when the ends of a long strip of dough is intertwined and then folded against each other, forming what is known as a “pretzel loop.” Well, turns out that the shape has got to do with religion!  

Decoding the origin of pretzel and its shape 
While the origin story of pretzel is mostly shrouded in mystery, legends have it that it was invented in northern Italy by a Catholic monk in 610 BC. However, he didn’t really mean to invent this uniquely shaped food. His original goal was to use left-over dough to feed the church tourists who had come during the festival of Lent. But instead, he ended up folding strips of bread dough that turned out to resemble the crossed arms of praying children folded across their chests. He was quick to realise how his new and unique creation could very well act as a reward for young children who were beginning to learn how to pray while memorising the hymns. His intention was noble: To keep the kids encouraged in the path of religion. Interestingly, he named his innovation ‘pretiola’ meaning “little rewards” in Latin.  

Now, whether this story is true or not, one can’t say for certain. But experts do believe that pretzel and its unique loopy shape both had Christian origins. In fact, it is also believed that pretzel’s religious significance far precedes its shape. Christians were often forbidden to eat certain foods during religious festivals such as Lent and Easter, which is when the simple recipe of pretzel, aka, flour and water, helped satiate the hunger.  

The first known image of pretzel 
Regardless of how the pretzel was born, the first image of pretzels with their twisted and knotting shape appeared only in 1190 AD in a Latin manuscript called Hortus Deliciarum or “Garden of Delights,” that happens to be the first encyclopaedia authored by a woman. Historical records reveal that it was one of the nuns/ abbesses associated with a convent named Hohenburg Abbey, located on top of the Alsatian peak in Germany named Herrard of Landsberg. The book that mainly contained biblical stories featured an illustration of people sitting at a dining table with many delectable snacks in front of them. One such snack was the pretzel, as evident from its distinguishable loops. Interestingly, records also suggest that even before the world saw a picture of a pretzel, it was being made by a popular German baker since 1111 AD.  

Today, however, pretzel has come a long way and comes in a variety of shapes such as sticks, rods, loops, braids and even alphabets. It is also served in different flavours such as special glazes, salt crystals, cinnamon, honey and even nuts and seeds.