SUPERPRETZEL, the nation's #1 soft pretzel, will rally fellow pretzel lovers nationwide to celebrate the warm, tasty treat during National Soft Pretzel Month this April. The soft pretzel leader has put together a list of its top 10 favorite pretzel trivia facts in honor of the scrumptious, month-long celebration.
"From snack time to game time, soft pretzels have evolved into a snacking staple for families and foodies alike," said Gerry Shreiber, CEO & President of J & J Snack Foods. "Today, people can purchase SUPERPRETZEL products just about anywhere, including grocery stores, convenience shops, movie theaters, restaurants and of course ballparks. We are certainly proud of the impact we have made in the food industry, and we look forward to continue to produce delectable soft pretzel products for years to come."
Fun soft pretzel facts from SUPERPRETZEL:
J&J Snack Foods Corp., parent company for SUPERPRETZEL, is the largest manufacturer of soft pretzels in the world.
In one year, SUPERPRETZEL rolls out 1 billion soft pretzels. If you lined these pretzels up end to end, it would circle the globe 3 times.
The yearly demand for SUPERPRETZEL products in the United States calls for a hefty serving of 50,000,000 pounds of flour.
The top five cities for consumption of pre-packaged frozen grocery store soft pretzels are New York, Philadelphia, Harrisburg/Scranton, Cincinnati/Dayton and Baltimore.
Mustard is the most preferred soft pretzel dip, followed by cheddar cheese, jalapeno, honey mustard and cinnamon.
Pretzels without salt are called baldies.
Historically, pretzels have been known for good fortune. In the early 1800s, German children tied pretzels on a string around their necks at the beginning of a new year for prosperity, health and good fortune.
The commonly spoken wedding phrase "tie the knot" got its start when an actual pretzel was used to tie the knot between two prominent families in the 17th century. The pretzel's loops stood for everlasting love, and the couple would wish upon a pretzel and each break off a piece like is often done today with a wishbone. Then the couple would eat the pretzel for good luck.
Helen Hoff, the world champion pretzel twister, can twist 57 pretzels per minute.
The largest pretzel in the world was 842 pounds, 26.8 feet long and 10.2 feet wide.