The "Get It Twisted Story"

It was an ordinary day.  Opened my latest Reader's Digest and there on page 17 was the photograph of a big pretzel.  Not just any pretzel, but one that had been made in the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, a 15 minute drive from my home.  The story was titled "Get It Twisted" and was written by Emily Tyra.  The tale of the pretzel's enduring populararty crisscrosses a medieval monk with a modern mall mogul, with a lot of twists and turns in between.  The story began around 610 C.E., when a monk in northern Italy braided ropes of bread dough to resemble crosssed arms in prayer.  He baked the treats until golden and gave them as rewards to his students at the monastery.  That iconic knot shape became popular with bakers in Europe during the Middle Ages, and Germans especially took to the art of pretzel twisting.  Starting as early as the 12th Century, German bakers hung pretzel-shaped signs. above their doorways as a symbol that you could find fresh baked breads inside," says Saveur writer Ben Craig, adding, "Pretzels were once so special that medieval painters would dab a few on the table of the "Last Supper."  Germans brought a passion for pretzels to the New World, especially to Pennsylvania Dutch country, which is a misnomer for Pennsylvania Deutsch.  The state produces roughly 80% of the pretzels sold in the United States today.  The country's first commercial pretzel bakery opened in 1861 in Lititz, outside of Lancaster.  Its founder, German-born Julius Sturgis, claimed to create the first hard pretzels -- made crisp so they could be stored for long periods without going stale.  Sturgis's descendants still make hard pretzels at their factory in Reading, Pennsylvania.  This twisting tale isn't complete without homage to "Auntie" Anne Beier, who started selling hand-rolled soft pretzels in 1988 at a Pennsylvania farmer's market to help fund her husband's dream of providing free family counseling services for their community.  Auntie Anne's is now the largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise in the world, with over 1,700 locations.  Now....for a cameo from actor Adam "Happy" Shapiro.  The Philly native became pretzel vendor to the stars during the pandemic, when he perfected a Philly-style soft pretzel and offered it from his Los Angeles driveway to friends.  His pretzel pop-up became a Hollywood hit - and a bona fide business.  "Happy" pretzels were given out at the 2023 Academy Awards, and Kristen Bell, Ryan Seacrest and Tyra Banks all professed their love.  Feeling starstruck?   There is no twist ending here.  Just an abiding admiration for a doughy delicacy with Old World traditions, all wrapped up with a bow.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.