Quality since 1884. Pretzelvania's best. The old fashioned kind. Bachman, famous for pretzels since 1884, makes twisted pretzels from a recipe over 100 years old. A carefully prepared dough of specially selected ingredients is formed into pretzels with a real twist, salted and slowly baked for extra crunchiness. Their crisp goodness is perfect as a snack or with dips and beverages-great with ice cream, too. The history of the pretzel - The popular pretzel of today was developed long ago by a monk in about 610 A.D. at one of the monasteries in the mountains between southern France and northern Italy. After baking bread, this imaginative monk took leftover dough and formed it to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. He called it pretiola which is Latin for little reward, and gave it to the village children for learning their prayers. The church prospered and this precious pretiola found its way over the Alps into Austria and Germany where it became affectionately known as bretzel and the pretzel as we know it today. Enjoy the delicious satisfaction of a pretzel snack or a pretzel's accompaniment to drinks, salads or other food items with a clear conscience. Because they are baked not fried, ounce for ounce pretzels have less fat and calories than many other snacks including nuts, potato chips, cookies and cakes. Bachman Pretzels are not only a snack food, they are a real food. A source of energy while still being low in fat. They are good for you and what's more, they are good eating crisp, crunchy and just plain good tasting. Pretzels hold an honored place in the marriage ceremony. A wood cut dated 1614 and copied from a stained glass window in a Berne, Switzerland cathedral depicts the pretzel used as a nuptial knot in a royal marriage. After a time, wishing on a pretzel became common, particularly at weddings when the bride held one side, the groom the other. They pulled on the pretzel much as we do with a wishbone. Reading, Pennsylvania is known as the pretzel capital of the World. In 1884, J.S. Bachman started his little bakery in reading, making fine quality pretzels by hand and delivering them in a horse-drawn cart. From those early days and through the over 100 years of production and product development since, high quality standards have prevailed and are still Bachman's proud heritage. Today, Bachman is the only major company still producing an authentic hearth baked twisted pretzel which has the unique original taste advantage. Bachman - Pretzelvania's best pretzels - and no one else can say that! Made in USA.