250-Year-Old Pretzel - Imagine you mistakenly burn your breakfast in the oven and get forced to throw the meal away. Now, contrast the disappointment you'd experience with the excitement of a team of German archaeologists who have discovered a 250-year-old pretzel.
The pretzel, which is burnt black, was dug up on the banks of Danube, in the eastern Bavarian city of Regensburg. According to the archaeologists, the 250-year-old pretzel was found alongside a croissant and a bread roll, which were also burnt. There are speculations that a baker must have thrown away the pretzel and the other snacks because they got burnt. Ironically, it is because they were burnt that the snacks have been preserved.
Pretzels originated in Germany, but are widely consumed across Europe and North America today. The intertwined dough of strip has long been associated with monasteries. Silvia Codreanau-Windauer, who works with the Bavarian Bureau for Conservation, told The Local that "The form of the pretzel is supposed to represent the crossed arms of monks. Eventually it ended up as a fasting meal."
Codreanau-Windauer also noted that the burnt pretzel, which has been dated to the 18th century, is the oldest pretzel ever found.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Regensburg Joachim Wolbergs has also added that "This discovery is really extraordinary, because it depicts a snippet of everyday life."
Besides their significance in monasteries as a referred 'food' to consume while fasting, the shape of pretzels is also thought to represent the emblem of the baker's guild in Germany and other places in Europe. Pretzel has been part of the German baking tradition for many years. It is usually enjoyed at breakfast with sausage and other delicacies that are eaten with bread.
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