There is only one food more beloved and more ubiquitous in Philadelphia than the cheesesteak: the soft pretzel, writes Laura Kiniry for Serious Eats.

The Philly version of the popular snack is thicker, doughier, and more elongated than the traditional soft pretzel you’ll likely find in most other cities.

This local favorite can be found in almost any corner store, sporting event, or cafeteria in the Philadelphia region. There are also stand-alone pretzel bakeries that have been churning out fresh pretzels for decades.

Philadelphians eat more than 12 times as many pretzels as the average American.

Soft pretzels were brought to the continent by Palatine German immigrants – known today as the Pennsylvania Dutch – as early as 1710. In 1861, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery opened in Lititz as the nation’s first commercial pretzel bakery.

At the same time, an offshoot of the snack was emerging: the Philadelphia soft pretzel. Federal Pretzel Baking Company in South Philadelphia is believed to have created the distinct Philly version.

The Nacchio family, who owned the bakery, began selling Philly soft pretzels to local schools at the start of the last century, instilling an undying love for the company’s pretzels in Philadelphia-area students. That love has been maintained and grown through the generations to this very day.

Read more about the history and lore of soft pretzels in Serious Eats.

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