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a pretzel

Pretzel

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A pretzel is a baked pastry in the shape of a knot, and may be hard or soft, simple or ornate.  Pretzels originated in Germany in the pre-Christian era, where they are called Brezel.  The letter ‘z’ in German is pronounced like English ‘ts’,  so when English adopted this word the ‘t’ was added to match the original sound.

Basic pretzels are made with water, flour and salt and dipped in water and lye before baking, and so are vegan and suitable for the Christian religious period of Lent.   In the Middle Ages in Europe pretzels were symbols of  good fortune and prosperity, and the pretzel is often used as a symbol of the baking trade in Germany even today. Small, hard pretzels keep well and are often served as salty snacks with drinks such as beer, and there is also a pretzel emoji and a pretzel lovemaking position.