610 AD, Somewhere near the French-Italian border

The unconfirmed rumor is that an Italian monk created the first pretzel from leftover bread dough. He rolled it out, formed it into the shape of a child's arms folded in prayer, and called it a "pretoria," Latin for "reward." The pretoria later made its way to Austria and Germany where it became known as the "bretzel" or "pretzel."

1510, the Turks lay siege to Vienna

To breach the city walls, the invading Turks tried to tunnel under them. Plucky pretzel bakers awake in the middle of the night discovered the intrepid Turks and were able to raise the alarm, thereby saving the city. As a reward, the King commissioned a special coat of arms, featuring a charging lion and a pretzel. This pretzel-baker's emblem is still used today.

1614, pretzels get married

A stained-glass window from a cathedral in Berne, Switzerland shows a pretzel being used to "tie the knot" between two royal families. Around this time, wishing upon a pretzel became common at weddings. The bride and groom would make a wish and break the pretzel like a wishbone. Since both likely wished for happiness, their wish was often granted.

1861, the pretzel gets its own factory in Lititz, Pennsylvania

The story (and that's all it is) goes that a hobo hopped off a train and followed his nose to a bakery where he traded his pretzel recipe for a meal. Whether Julius Sturgis was an apprentice at this bakery is arguable. That in 1861 he started the first commercial pretzel bakery in America is not.

1971, birth of the SUPERPRETZEL®

J&J Snack Foods Corp. began turning out SUPERPRETZEL® soft pretzels and ensured that everyone could find delicious heat-and-eat soft pretzels in their grocer's freezer. Presently, we are the largest manufacturer of soft pretzels in the world. We make over one billion soft pretzels a year (nearly three million per day), from our locations in New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania and Texas.

1972-present, advances in pretzel-making technology

J&J Snack Foods Corp. has pioneered pretzel-making technology with special equipment that extrudes our dough, ties it in twists, and drops it on a conveyor belt. From there, it travels through the oven and is baked and flash-frozen within 20 minutes. Julius Sturgis would be impressed.