When it comes to iconic locations known for pretzels, the city of Philadelphia is one of the first to come to mind! With the snack being such an icon for the city, there is a rich history behind the pretzel that built its reputation. In this first part, we will begin to discuss the pretzel and its history and influence in Philadelphia.
The earliest recording of pretzels being sold in Philly came as early as the 1820’s with a street vendor named Daniel Kleiss who sold soft pretzels. While this had been the first recorded local pretzel business, pretzels would pick up popularity in the city during the 1860’s.
This boom during the time mainly stemmed from the first commercial bakery established in 1861 by the Sturgis family. Particularly, Julius Sturgis received the recipe from his mentor, who received the recipe from a wandering baker in the 1840s, talk about a legacy! With the Civil War unfolding, Sturgis would send pretzels to his brother as well as selling them at the Philly Grand Central Fair to raise money for union soldiers.
We hope you found this first part about pretzels in Philadelphia interesting and gave you more insight into the history of this iconic snack! At pretzels.com we provide gourmet pretzels from sweet to salty and everything in between. With over 40 flavors baked in micro batches that we continuously are adding to, we are dedicated to providing the perfect pretzels for your own cravings or for others and events. Come view all our gourmet flavors and find the right one for you today!
