Hit: pretzel story

[Susan Roscoe <SusanR50@AOL.COM>]

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Thanks everyone for the info. I got what I needed about 10 times fold. I
 didn't put them all on because of repetition.

 Susan Roscoe
LMS
Duffield School
Ronkonkoma, New York 11779
Susanr50@aol.com


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Subj:    Re: Pretzel story
On Thu, 18 Sep 1997, Susan Roscoe wrote:
=0D

I don't know of any folktales, but how about a "real" story? My recollect=
ion
(from various sources) is that a German baker who was a deeply spiritual =
man
wanted a way to explain simply (perhaps 'illustrate" would be a better te=
rm)
the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. He used one long string of dough a=
nd
joined it in such a way that it created three holes.
=0D
 The analogy is simple: One God expressed in three persons: Father, Son, =
and
Holy Spirit. The term "Trinity," although not specifically appearing in t=
he
Bible, means Tri - unity, or three in one. Even a child could grasp the
concept of the Trinity in this way (though our some of our learned schola=
rs
can't seem to grasp it or believe it!).
=0D
In the Book of Genesis, God's name is given as "Elohim."  "El" is used to=

denote God in a singular way, and was also used by other Semite peoples a=
s a
term or name for "God" or "god" (although they were not refering to the G=
od
of the Hebrew people. In a sense, you could say that "el" was a generic t=
erm
for god among many of the ancient peoples of that area).
=0D
 "im" is used in Hebrew as a plural form, therefore, "Elohim" in Genesis =
is
an expression of the triune nature of God. This is only one of many such
passages in the Bible.
=0D
If you want a food folk tale, how about the gingerbread man or the pancak=
e man?
=0D
> Hi everyone
>   Can anyone help me with a folktale about making or invention of pretz=
els.
> Need for tomorrow.(sorry- I was in the faculty room and didn't write it=
 down,
> then the teacher forgot to remind me when she came to the library). Eve=
n if
> it's late it will be appreciated.
> TIA
> Susan Roscoe
> LMS
> Duffield School
> Ronkonkoma, New York 11779
> Susanr50@aol.com
=0D
History's Twist On Pretzels
=0D
                           They're a snack with Catholic roots
=0D
                                  By Jean Schaefer
=0D
The pretzel has been around for a long, long time -- since A.D. 610, in
fact. That's when a monk in a monastery kitchen in southern Europe toyed
with some bits of leftover bread dough, frugally seeking a practical use
for them. After rolling one piece into a long strip, he then twisted the
ends around to look like arms folded over the chest in prayer. Thus was
the world's first pretzel born.
=0D
The monk called the invention pretiola, which means "little reward" in
Latin. In time, the pretiola became a wonderful treat for village
children who had learned their prayers well. An instant -- and enduring
-- hit, the popularity of the pretiola has lasted for 1,386 years.
=0D
Today, we in the United States munch our way through more than 400
million pounds of pretzels each year. In addition to the original
arms-crossed-in-prayer shape, we nibble on 28 other shapes of pretzel,
including nuggets, rods, logs, rings, braids, and sticks.
=0D
The traditional twisted hard pretzel is still the favorite, but those
craving something a little different can find this shape flavored with
cheese, caraway, rye, garlic, or coated in chocolate.
=0D
=46rom its humble beginning in a monastery, the tiny pretzel traveled
slowly but steadily across Europe, finding special favor in Germany and
Austria. It isn't hard, then, to follow the trail across the Atlantic to
Pennsylvania, where the pretzel was introduced by German and Austrian
settlers, the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch.
=0D
One of the earliest references to pretzels in our own country appears
when the pretzel had its day in court in 1652. One Jochem Wessels and
his wife, Gertrude, were charged with selling pretzels to the Indians,
who loved the enduring snack so much they were willing to pay just about
anything for them. The suit charged the Wessels with using a high-grade
flour for pretzels sold to natives, while using remnants for bread sold
to the citizenry. The controversy, according to court records, came down
to this: "The heathen were eating flour while the Christians were eating
bran."
=0D
In 1861, the quaint little Pennsylvania Dutch town of Lititz became
by chance the home of the first commercial pretzel bakery in
America. It is said that a vagabond, lured by the aroma of freshly
baked bread, stopped at the Ambrose Rauch bakery in Lititz to beg
something to eat. Rauch gave the traveler a good meal, and in return,
the man gave Rauch a secret recipe for hard pretzels.
=0D
But the baker had no desire to expand into pretzel making. A young
apprentice, Julius Sturgis, however, sensed an opportunity. Before long,
Sturgis set out on his own and established a bakery devoted to pretzel
making alone. Today, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel House still stands in
Lititz. The original recipe, gift of a proud vagabond, remains popular
today.
=0D
Perhaps one reason the unassuming pretzel has endured is because the
little treat is actually good for us. There aren't many snack foods
around, after all, that contain no sugar or cholesterol. Yet
health-conscious American snackers of the '90s can relax with a pretzel
knowing the simple ingredients -- water, flour, yeast, soda, and a
sprinkle of salt -- provide protein, calcium, carbohydrates, vitamins,
phosphate, and other minerals. Pretzels baked with enriched flour are
even more nutritious.
=0D
The original pretzel was the soft, breadlike type. Legend has it that
the hard pretzel was discovered purely by accident when a young baker's
apprentice fell asleep while tending an oven full of pretzels. When the
apprentice awoke, the fire had died down. Thinking the pretzels hadn't
baked, the youngster fired up the oven and baked them a second time.
=0D
Only when the head baker noticed the other apprentices gobbling down the
ruined pretzels did he realize his young employee had done him a favor.
Not only did the crunchy pretzels taste great, but they also stayed
fresh for months, since most of the moisture was baked from the dough
during cooking.
=0D
Our friend the baker-monk back in his monastery in 610 twisted his
pretzels by hand. And pretzels have continued to be twisted by hand down
through the centuries. It wasn't until 1933, in fact, that an efficient
pretzel-twisting machine was invented. With its debut, the heyday of the
skilled craft of pretzel twisting died out.
=0D
By the early 1960s, high-speed extrusion had become the accepted method
for making pretzels. The high-speed process, which involves squeezing
dough through a large number of pretzel-shaped dies while a series of
knife blades slices each pretzel to the proper thickness, was
necessitated by a demand for ever more pretzels.
=0D
Once cut and shaped, pretzels drop onto conveyor belts that carry them
to an oven. On the way, they pass through a specially prepared heat
solution that turns them golden brown and provides a shiny finish. Salt
is dropped on them as they continue their journey to the oven.
=0D
Pretzels are as compatible with champagne as they are with beer or soft
drinks. They are used in crumb crusts for pies and stuffing for chicken.
(The Pennsylvania Dutch even make pretzel soup!)
=0D
You, too, can make pretzels at home. The kids might like to try this
recipe on a rainy day:
=0D
                                        Soft Pretzels
=0D
                                             1 package active dry yeast =

                                             1=BD cups lukewarm water =

                                             1 teaspoon salt =

                                             3 teaspoons sugar =

                                             4 cups flour =

                                             1 egg, beaten
=0D
Dissolve yeast in water. Add salt, sugar, and flour. Knead 5-10 minutes,
adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Twist dough into
shapes. Place on Teflon baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and bake at
425=B0 for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
=0D
Today in tiny Lititz, the original Sturgis Pretzel House -- the first
pretzel bakery in America -- is listed in the National Register of
Historic Places.
=0D
Visitors to Pennsylvania Dutch country may try their hand at pretzel
twisting: No matter how crooked or misshapen the finished product, each
attempt wins an Official Pretzel Twister's Certificate. Here too can be
seen the original 200-year-old ovens that bake the old handmade soft
pretzels. Tours are conducted from 9 to 5 every day except Sunday.
=0D
The electronic age is upon us, but the humble pretzel demonstrates there
is always a place in life for simpler things. Indeed, pretzels have been
proving that for more than 1,000 years. =

=0D
              Copyright 1996, Catholic Digest
=0D
:-)   Marti Anderson
mailto:marti@inwave.com
http://www.widesmiles.org/useful/
=0D
susan,
Eric Carle's Walter the Baker
also the blurb on the box of Bachman's Pretel.
Here's the story I tell:
During the Middle Ages in southern France or in Northern Italy there was =
a
monestary in a town.  The monks also taught the children religion and
espexially the how to pray.  In those days they didn't fold their hands
the way we do now, but crossed their arms across their chest.  If the
children learned their prayers, the monks would give them small pieces of=

bread (monks bread, I suppose) and they shaped in the shape of arms
crossed across the chest. hence the pretzel shape.
(sorry - got to run, I'm at the public library and just got a 10 to 9
rush!)  I do library programs making pretzels.\\
Don Wilson
Librarian
MF Stokes elementary School
Island Trees, NY
donwilson@mindsping.com
=0D

Not really a folktale but rather a literary tale by Eric Carle titled:
Walter the Baker (1972).  By order of the Duke, Walter the Baker must
invent a tasty roll through which the  rising sun can shine three times. =
A
lively and colorful retelling of the legend of the invention of the pretz=
el.
It has recently been reissued by Putnam I believe so it should be
available.  Hope the information is useful.  :>) Sharron.
=0D
Hi Susan,
  The one that comes to mind is _The Pretzel Hero_, but I am at home and
can't remember the author.  I can picture it on the shelves, however,
and the author's name may begin with an S.
=0D
Susan,
    I believe the story behind the pretzel is:
        During the middle ages, a monk or priest (not sure which) had
some dough left over from making bread.  He wanted to give the children
in that area a reward for learning to say their prayers.  So he then
took the dough and rolled it into a rope and then twisted it together
and pressed the ends onto the lower part of  the dough.  This was meant
to resemble a child praying.  Children enjoyed these so much they became
a popular item and are still around today.
    BTW, there is a pretzel house by the name of the Sturgis Pretzel
House that is supposed to be the first pretzel making place in the U.S.
near me in Lititz, PA.  It has tours you can go through (the ticket is a
pretzel--don't eat the whole thing before the tour starts!) and tells
you the history of pretzels and shows you how they were/are made.  Maybe
you can check it out if you ever get down to the Lancaster County area.
They also may have more information available.  I know you said that you
need it tomorrow, but I might be able to call them to find out what they
have available.  Let me know.
    Vicki Asper
    veraken-vicki@redrose.net
=0D


=0D

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