World's Oldest Pretzel Found in Germany

German archaeologists announced this week they have discovered what could be the world’s oldest pretzel.

Unearthed during a large excavation on the “Donaumarkt” in Regensburg, an area nearby the Danube which was destroyed in the 1950-60s, the charred pretzel fragments are believed to be 250 years old. They were recovered beneath a floor in a structure long known to be a bakery.

“We found the remains of two pretzels, a piece of bread shaped like a croissant and three small bread rolls,” Silvia Codreanu-Windauer, of the Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites, told Discovery News.

German archaeologists announced this week they have discovered what could be the world’s oldest pretzel.

Unearthed during a large excavation on the “Donaumarkt” in Regensburg, an area nearby the Danube which was destroyed in the 1950-60s, the charred pretzel fragments are believed to be 250 years old. They were recovered beneath a floor in a structure long known to be a bakery.

“We found the remains of two pretzels, a piece of bread shaped like a croissant and three small bread rolls,” Silvia Codreanu-Windauer, of the Bavarian State Department of Monuments and Sites, told Discovery News.

It is believed pretzels were invented sometime between the 5th and 6th centuries by monks who twisted leftover strips of dough to look like arms crossed in prayer.

Even though they are 250 years old, the pretzel fragments are similar to today’s product.

“They look the same. The fragments are just a little bit smaller because of the carbonizing process,” Codreanu-Windauer said.

The baked goods represent the first archaeological proof of a typical Bavarian bakery assortment.

Read more at Discovery News