Bavarian Pretzels

During our layover at the Munich airport, on our way to Barcelona, I kept my eyes out for that typical twisted bread treat - the German pretzel, Brezel. Fashioned from wheat, with a fat belly, a rustic split, fat arms and under 3% fat, the pretzel from Bavaria has a unique character. It's chewier and less sweet than its American cousin and differently shaped than, for example, the pretzel from Upper Swabia that has significantly thinner arms, a precise and sharp cut in the belly of the pretzel and a higher fat content.

The brezel's unique name apparently stems from the Latin "brachium", which means "arms", and is originally a Christian fasting food. Its first mention in literature was as early as the 12 century. Legend says that a baker at the royal court committed a crime and was sentenced to death but because of his exceptional baking skills was given a change by the king to redeem himself. "Bake me a bread that will allow the sun to shine three times through it and you will live" said the king. "Alright!" said the baker (presumably) and set out to devise such a treat....and succeeded when he twisted the bread ends and stuck them back onto the middle part of the dough, creating a bread with three separate openings.

True? Not so true? Either way, it resulted in a tasty treat - and one that we can highly recommend seeking out. The pretzel is savory with a chewy crust and small salt particles that make for a delicious treat, especially when sampled with one of the local beers. Makes waiting on a plane a lot more bearable! Try Käfer Bistro in Terminal 1 at the Munich airport, or Dallmayr Bistro or Shuhbeck's for a traditional Bavarian pretzel, beer or meal.

Not traveling anytime soon? Love pretzels but can't be bothered to make them yourself? Went to Munich but forgot to buy a souvenir for your cousin Linda? Fret not! We've handpicked some quality items from Amazon to help you out! It's just something we love to do!

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