One Thing America Still Excels at Making? Pretzels

Pretzels are a global snack, but Pennsylvania has become one of their major American strongholds. The state’s connection to the twisted dough goes back to the European immigrants who helped carry the snack across the Atlantic.

The pretzel’s origins are traced to seventh-century European monks, who reportedly gave children twisted pieces of dough as rewards for learning their prayers. The familiar shape is also said to have symbolic meaning: its three holes supposedly represent the Holy Trinity.

Pretzels became particularly popular in southern Germany. When emigrants from the region eventually moved to America, many congregated in Pennsylvania and brought their preferred snack with them.

That migration helped turn Pennsylvania into a powerhouse of pretzel production, linking the state’s food industry to a tradition that began with monks, prayer lessons and a simple twist of dough.