Do you like them salty or sweet? Hot or cold? Soft or hard? What am I talking about? Well PRETZELS, of course! After all, today is National Pretzel Day.
A quick Internet search tells me that the exact origination of pretzels and their unique shape is not definitively known, but that they were invented in Europe, probably by monks. The Pennsylvania Dutch are credited in some sources with bringing them to the United States.
According to Wikipedia: “Southeastern Pennsylvania, with its large population of German background, is considered the birthplace of the American pretzel industry, and many pretzel bakers are still located in the area. Pennsylvania produces 80% of the nation's pretzels.”
There are two famous pretzel makers right here in Pennsylvania's Americana Region – Tom Sturgis Pretzels Inc., and Unique Pretzel Bakery. Tom Sturgis is celebrating National Pretzel Day all week by giving out free snack packs pretzels to all customers who come to their store, and today, Wednesday 4/26, they are giving out a sa
mple tasting of their chocolate-covered Little Ones (while supplies last). Hours: Mon. – Sat. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“We still use our original recipes, and many of our pretzels are made in small batches by skilled bakers and baked in stone hearth ovens,” says local pretzel expert Rebecca A. Mack, (a.k.a. the Marketing Manager for Tom Sturgis Pretzels, Inc.).
“And yes, there really are soap stones in the oven! The entire process gives each pretzel type its own special taste. It’s why our Little Ones are so popular.”
According to the folks at Unique, “We let the raw pretzel set to perfection. When ready, the pretzel is placed in the oven where it bursts open and bubbles up creating crispy hollow pockets and crunchy deep crevices that are full of flavor.” Um… can you say YUM?
If the crunchy outside of the pretzel is your favorite, try their Shells, which are bite-sized hollow pockets, perfect for d
ipping. And for those who want their Unique Splits shipped right to their door, there’s now an Amazon Dash Button available where all you have to do it click the button and a shipment is sent out.
Stop in the Unique Pretzel Bakery Retail Store today for a free bag of pretzels (one free bag per customer; no purchase necessary; any size bag or variety; excludes chocolate.), plus 25% off your entire purchase. Online orders today receive 25% off the entire purchase using code NPD17 at check-out.
So whether you like your pretzels with mustard, cinnamon sugar or chocolate, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating this popular snack today.