Philadelphia, PA - Although the pretzel did not come initially from Philadelphia, it has become an iconic symbol of its food culture.
The Philadelphia Soft Pretzel
The first pretzel was brought to America by Mennonite and Amish immigrants in the 1700s, known as the Pennsylvania Dutch.
The popularity of the pretzel in Philadelphia is often given to Daniel Christopher Kleiss. He, in the early 1800s, began selling pretzels on the streets of Philadelphia.
What Makes a Philadelphia Pretzel
However, what we now know as the Philadelphia soft pretzel with its iconic Christian Trinity and figure-eight shape did not exist until the 1920s.
In fact, it's this 8 figured shape with a thick center and then ends, which Defines the Philadelphia pretzel. This soft pretzel is chewy And comes lightly salted. However, many Philadelphians prefer an unsalted version known as the Baldie.
The Nacchio family of Italian American descent began mass-producing what is known as the first Philadelphia pretzel.
As pretzels' popularity increased, the family created the federal pretzel baking company using a secret family recipe to create a soft baked pretzel.
The family even imported a German machine to add automation to the process that hand-twisted pretzels through a conveyor belt and baked the pretzels onto sheets distributed to vendors across the city.
Today where can find the iconic soft pretzel or the Philadelphia pretzel throughout the country and available from street vendors mom and pop shops thought the city.
Where to Get a Pretzel in Philadelphia - Philly is home to the best pretzel factories in the world, on top of smaller merchants still hand rolling out the dough and working the twist all by hand, making it the best city to grab the doughy treat in the world.
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Joy Franklin
Food and Event Writer
My joy is aimed at food and foodie lovers. I enjoy covering trends, issues, and all things Philly.
