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Dietribes: The Pretzel
"¢ No snappy title this week - so far I can't think of anything that rhymes with pretzel nor makes sense as a pun. Anyone? In any case, besides being an awkward rhyming tool, "a pretzel is a bread pastry of German origin, that has the shape of a three looped knot or twisted braid. Pretzels are either soft or hard. Hard pretzels have evolved into a variety of shapes from knotted loops to straight "pretzel sticks" (called "Salzstangen" in German, Ropi in Hungarian). The pretzel dough is made from wheat flour, water, sugar and yeast, sprinkled with coarse salt." For more history, check it out here.
"¢ Don't play with your food - but do use it for fashion (featuring Stanley Stellar's Pretzel Decolette and Cheez Doodle Choker).
"¢ Preztels, though often considered a cheap snack, must cost more to manufacture than we think. In the case of major airlines ... no more pretzels? (lack of pretzels here and here also).
Additionally, General Mills cut costs last year by reducing the number pretzel shapes in Chex Mix.
"¢ Behold! A Pretzel amusement park ride. The track looks more akin to an amoeba, but either way it would probably make me dizzy.
"¢ No pretzel post would be complete without mention of a human pretzel. That's just one example of course, but wow I hurt just watching it.
"¢ "These pretzels ... are making me thirsty!!"
"¢ Pretzels can also be dangerous. Always remember to chew properly!
"¢ Another case of Ordinary People Making Millions: the founder of Auntie Anne's Preztels is a former housewife with an 8th grade education. She and her husband have made their fortune selling seaweed-flavored pretzels in Singapore and date-flavored pretzels in Saudi Arabia. Business is so lucrative, some people are moving to China to open Auntie Annes there.
"¢ No love for the pretzel? Although the Pretzel Museum has gone under (did anyone manage a trip before it closed?), you can still read about it here and learn more pretzel facts (such as, did you know pretzels without salt are called baldies?)
"¢ If you do want to show your pretzel pride, check out this contest that pits the Pretzel Dog against the Hot Dog as the ultimate summer snack. To be honest, I've never had a Pretzel Dog. Has anyone else?
If you make homemade pretzels or have any tasty snack tips, please share them below! Also, what foods would you guys like to see Dietribes cover in the future?
Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.
"˜Dietribes' appears every other Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna Beyenbach. You might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.