Pretzels have been a favorite snack at my house for as long as I can remember. It seems that there was always a large container of pretzel rods available, and I believe I cut my teeth on a pretzel My brother and I joke about being addicted to pretzels. I guess that's not a bad addiction.

Everybody loves the crunchy, brown, salty heart-shaped snacks called pretzels. You can buy a whole bag for little more than $1 on sale. They're handy to keep around for unexpected company or for munching in front of the TV. Pretzels have been around for approximately 1,397 years.

As early as 610 AD at a monastery somewhere in southern France or northern Italy, monks used scraps of dough and formed them into strips to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. The three empty holes represented the Christian Trinity. The monks offered the warm, doughy bribe to children who had memorized their Bible verses and prayers. The monks called it a Pretiola, Latin for little reward.

The Pretiola journeyed beyond the French and Italian wine regions, hiked the Alps, wandered through Austria and crossed into Germany, where it became known as the Bretzel or Pretzel.

In medieval times, merchants traveling to the Frankfurt Fair risked being robbed by bandits. In order to guard the tradesmen, the towns' people would ride out, greet the vendors and offer them pewter pitchers of wine and loads of crisp dough on their spears, called Geleit-pretzels.

The pretzel-shape worked its way into the culture not only as a reward but as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. It had the same effect as a modern logo. Appearing at festivals and celebrations, it meant that a snack was available from street corner vendors.

The pretzel was served on Easter with two hard-boiled eggs and hidden around the farms for children to find. This was very likely the forerunner of the Easter egg hunt. Weddings in Europe for a time used the tradition of the bride and groom tugging at a pretzel like a wishbone, the larger piece assured the spouses fulfillment of their wishes.

From this came the saying that we still use, “Tying the knot.”

We have been talking about soft pretzels. The hard pretzel has an interesting story about its invention during the late 17th century in Pennsylvania.

A baker's helper fell asleep while tending pretzels that were baking in the hearth. When he awoke, the flames had died, he believed the pretzels hadn't cooked long enough and started the fire up again. When the master baker came in, he was furious that an entire batch of pretzels weren't fit to eat. In the process of throwing them out, he tasted one and realized he was on to something big! Not only did he like the taste of these delicious crunchy morsels but realized due to the moisture being baked entirely out, that freshness was preserved and they would keep longer to sell.

An average soft pretzel has 3.5 grams of fat and 260 calories. Annual consumption per person of pretzels in the United States is two pounds. You can find pretzels everywhere. They have become a gourmet treat, covered in chocolate and decorated with a variety of items. They are popular all over the world.

Today, no matter what language or whether consumed soft, hard, chocolate-covered or salted, the humble pretzel has a proud heritage as possibly the world's oldest and most popular junk food.

Here are two recipes. One for a big soft pretzel, and one for fun that uses hard pretzels as an ingredient. Enjoy.

This column has been a collaborative effort between Auburn natives chef Max Hitchcock and his mother, Susan Silverman. They can be reached at Birdscapes@adelphia.net

Soft Baked Pretzels

Makes 8-12 servings

1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 dash salt

1 1/2 cups 110 degree water

4 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup melted real butter

Toppings (see Notes below)

Combine first 4 ingredients; allow to rest for 5

minutes.

Stir flour into mixture and knead for 5 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Divide dough into 8-12 equal-size pieces; roll each piece into a rope; shape each rope into a pretzel.

In a shallow dish, stir baking soda into warm water; dip pretzels into mixture (or brush mixture over pretzels); lay coated pretzel onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 550 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Brush melted butter onto hot pretzels.

Notes: For salted pretzels, sprinkle with pretzel salt or Kosher salt. For cinnamon-sugar pretzels, stir 2 tablespoons honey into the melted butter before brushing on pretzels, then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

For Parmesan pretzels, sprinkle with a mixture of 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon garlic salt; serve with marinara sauce.

Pretzel Chicken

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish or mustard

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 cup finely crushed pretzel sticks

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine butter, horseradish or mustard, and hot pepper sauce in shallow pan. Mix crushed pretzels, flour and parsley in another dish. Dip boneless, skinless chicken breasts into butter mixture, then roll in crushed pretzel mixture to coat.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-24 minutes.