21st Century -- America's Century -- November 8, 2023

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US economy on a roll: 21st century -- America's century--

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Pretzels 

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Hard pretzels proved to be even more useful in the thirst-generating department than soft ones because they stay fresh so much longer; bar owners could keep a constant supply of them. In 1861, the first commercial hard pretzel factory was founded in Lititz, Pa., and the hard pretzel continues to rise.

In 2021, Hershey acquired the Dot’s Pretzels brand for more than $1.2 billion.

To me, though, the first and greatest pretzel will always be a soft one, fresh from the oven. Krauss recalls that in the Freiburg of his childhood, pretzels were sometimes used to calm a child instead of a pacifier. There’s just something about those twisted strands of dough with their savory brown exterior that is deeply soothing. As Ysewijn remarks, while so many other historic cakes and breads have become “lost in time,” the pretzel’s charming shape has somehow “managed to save it from oblivion.”

Appeared in the November 4, 2023, print edition as 'The Salty, Soothing Twist Of Pretzels'.

And from Forbes several years ago:

Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels has got to be the breakout snack food success story of 2020, growing from a tiny Mom-and-Pop operation to salty juggernaut that’s now available in an ever-expanding number of retail outlets across the country. Yet it wasn’t long ago that consumers had to hit up remote truck stops and hardware stores in the search for the North Dakota-based company’s pretzels. Here’s how Dot’s cracked the big time.