1 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome savor. I'm Anny and I'm Lauren Bogelbaum, 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about pretzels, which, amazingly is another 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: food that's a funny mascot, the pretzel mascot. I think 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: there's more than one. This this one is high quality. 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: I definitely recommend looking this one up. Yes, I do too. 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: One of my favorite things when my mom and I 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: that we would do when I was growing up is 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: we would take a trip to the mall and we 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: would get one of those anti ann pretzels with the 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: honey glaze. Honey glazes, okay, all right good? Oh yeah right, yeah. 11 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: Every time I go to the mall to this day, 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: I'm like, can I get one? No? Probably not. I 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: mean you're you're allowed to. Yeah, I definitely want to 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: one day, relive it. Relive it. Yeah, let me go 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: to the Imax at the Mall of Georgia and we 16 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: would buy those cinnabytes, which are just like warm, bite 17 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: sized cinnamon and sugar pretzels, a little like nuggets, and 18 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: then we would sneak them into the pianner a good times. 19 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: Already the cravings setting in. That's not good. But regular 20 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: pretzels I'm not. I'm not super into am I turned 21 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: them down on your planes? Um I do like the 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: ones with peanut butter in the center, but that's peanut butter. 23 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: That's peanut butter related and not pretzel related. I prefer 24 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: a soft pretzel to a hard pretzel, but I I 25 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: love a pretzel. I am a sucker for any kind 26 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: of pretzel, pretzel bread. I get the most excited about 27 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: pretzel bread. And I don't know, well, I feel like, 28 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: I feel like the amount of excitement that I experience 29 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: about it, it's not even disproportionate. It's just like, I 30 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: don't I don't know why it happens. Uh huh. I 31 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: have a similar thing with um a local popsicle vendor 32 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: King of Pops, because I don't really like pops. I mean, 33 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: they're fine, sure, but I get so excited when I 34 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: see them. They just were really good at mark getting 35 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: making themselves seem like difficult to find. I think, so 36 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: you're like, oh man, what a treat. But there's literally 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: a King of Pops in the building. I could just 38 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: walk down the stairs, hood but no, no, if I 39 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: see them in the wild, um I, I yeah, I 40 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: understand that. Um My me and my ex boyfriend. We 41 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: were at this this big comedy show a couple of 42 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: years ago, and we hadn't had dinner and we saw 43 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: on the menu an eighteen dollars super pretzel and we 44 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: were very very intrigued, and we decided to order it 45 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: on a whim, a very ridiculous, silly whim. Um. The 46 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: cashier was like, um, no one's ever ordered that before. 47 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: Let me check with my manager. I don't actually know 48 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: what it is. And it became a fiasco. Um. There 49 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: was all hands on deck. Everyone was trying to figure 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: out this super pretzel. People were going back and to 51 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: the back and like whispering. It took like thirty minutes, 52 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: but finally we got this massive pretzel in a pizza 53 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: box that barely fit out like the order window. It 54 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: was the size of my door so at least and uh, 55 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: it came with two tiny cheese containers to dip it in. 56 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: It was pretty hilarious. One of the first pictures on 57 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: my Instagram, just just a real big pretzel. It was 58 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: just a big super pretzel. Oh I will um. It 59 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: was a waste, but it was a fun waste. Well 60 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: there you go. Yeah, I'm not sure how they did 61 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: it to this day. I wonder if they, like who knows, 62 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: maybe somebody went and picked one up. If anyone has 63 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: any background information on the super pretzel, very important for 64 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: us to know, very important. I totally forgot about President 65 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: George W. Bush almost choking on that pretzel. Oh yeah, 66 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: that happened. It came up a lot, and I was researching. Yeah, 67 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: the pretzel, the pretzel and a national pretzel days. So 68 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: that's as as we are recording this were timely for 69 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: once or once maybe I will go get a warm 70 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: pretzel with some cinnamon sugar glaze. Yeah. Yeah. But all 71 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: of this brings us to the question pretzel. What is it? Well, 72 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: pretzel can mean a lot of things. It's a type 73 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: of baked good that can be salty or savory or 74 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: sweet to softer, crunchy. The word can refer to the 75 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: traditional twisty knot shape that these baked goods come in. 76 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: The pretzels can also come in other shapes like sticks 77 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: or nuggets. Other baked goods like sandwich rolls aforementioned, can 78 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: be made of pretzel style bread. But okay, I guess 79 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: at the essence of pretzel, you've got to you've got 80 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: a snack made of a yeast raised wheat flour dough 81 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: that's rolled into a long rope and then wound into 82 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: a shape that's it's like a It's like a wide, 83 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: rounded heart with the with the ends overlapping at the 84 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: crux of the heart, and the ends are then twisted 85 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: around each other and pulled down to touch the lower 86 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: sides of the heart space. In the United States, the 87 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: ends are separated after twisting and attached one on each 88 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: side of the heart, forming a shape with three holes. Yeah. 89 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: In Europe, the ends are often kept together and attached 90 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: to the same point at the bottom, forming a shape 91 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: with only two holes. What I know, blow my mind right. 92 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: The pretzel may be treated or topped in a number 93 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: of ways and is baked until it reaches the desired firmness. 94 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: The result has a deep brown crust with a pale interior, 95 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: a slightly tangy flavor, and a texture that's somewhere from 96 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: chewy soft to like crispy crunchy. Mm hmmmm hmm. There 97 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: are a lot of variations. Um Philly style pretzels are 98 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: shaped like an elongated figure eight. I know. Hard baked 99 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: pretzels tend to be smaller like bite sized, often come 100 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: in other shapes, sticks and twists. Soft baked ones tend 101 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: to be bigger. You can use yeaest dough or sour dough, 102 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: plain wheat flour, incorporate other grains. Can tap them with 103 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: cinnamon and sugar, powdered mustard, powdered dill pickle flavoring, Bake 104 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: them up with cheese on top. You can serve them 105 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: with all kinds of dipping sauces, though for the savory ones, 106 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: whole grain mustard is perhaps the most common, and cheese 107 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: sauce perhaps the most delicious. Agreed science fact. You can 108 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:27,799 Speaker 1: stuff them with stuff, as Annie mentioned a minute ago. Yeah, 109 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: nutrition wise, it, you know, depends on your type of 110 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: pretzel perhaps obviously um Hard hard snack pretzels have some 111 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: protein and a tiny little bit of fat, but they're 112 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: mostly carbs, so they'll fill you up like briefly, but 113 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: won't keep you going for too long. Soft pretzels tend 114 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: to have a little bit more fat, less protein. I mean, 115 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: neither is ideal. It's it's bread or like crackers, so 116 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: it spalls into the category of what I would call 117 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: like nutritionally math. It's not like a decadent treat, but 118 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: you probably shouldn't plan your daily diet around them if 119 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: you can otherwise avoid it. No, Unfortunately, unfortunately, like I um, 120 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: I was on a film set once and as people 121 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: probably heard of, like the craft of snacks that they provide, 122 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: and I was pretty good about not indulging in all 123 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: of the candies, but the pretzel, the combos with peanut 124 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: butter get me every time. And then I saw the 125 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: calorie information in them, and I like staggered away in shock, 126 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: like I knew would be high. I didn't know it 127 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: would be that high. Yeah, and I haven't really had 128 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: one sense. Sometimes I let myself have too. We do 129 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: have a here, there are some here, and the temptation 130 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: is always there. I had a couple yesterday while I 131 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: was researching this article, podcast episode thing, this this thing 132 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: that we're doing right now. If we look at pretzel numbers, 133 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: m pretzels are the most popular in the United States 134 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: and Germany. Americans consume an average of one point five 135 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: pounds of pretzels annually, and that comes out to be 136 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,559 Speaker 1: three four million pretzels a year in twenty thirteen, which 137 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: comes out to five million dollars a year. In the 138 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: US alone, eighty percent of those come from Pennsylvania. Yes, Also, 139 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: the average pretzel consumption is much higher in Pennsylvania, about 140 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: twelve pounds a person. Oh, he said, It's like one 141 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: point five pounds for the rest of America, but twelve 142 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: pounds for Pennsylvania. Pounds listeners from Pennsylvania, I mean right 143 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: in does that sound correct? I mean what I lived 144 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania briefly, and I have to say, like that 145 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: sounds about right. Yeah. Really, Now that's the second time 146 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: my mind has been blown. And very early part of 147 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: this episode, um Anti ads that purveyor of soft pretzels, 148 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: usually found in malls or in airports, makes five thousand 149 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: pretzels a day. In two thousand seven, Joey Jaw's Chestnut 150 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: eight twenty one soft pretzels in ten minutes and became 151 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: the world pretzel eighting champion. The record for largest pretzel 152 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: is continually contested, but right now Guinness has the record 153 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: holder as coming from a San Salvador bakery in It 154 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: weighed one thousand, seven hundred and twenty eight pounds and 155 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: measured uh twenty three ft and three inches long by 156 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: thirteen ft and three inches wide. For a metric, friends, 157 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: that's a seven hundred and eighty three point eight one 158 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: kilos and uh eight point nine three ms by four 159 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: point of six. I always wonder about these things. Did 160 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: did they just invite the entire town and then everyone 161 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,839 Speaker 1: needs pretzels for a day? I think that's basically yeah, okay, cool, 162 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: that's not going to waste. Um. Pretzels are a popular 163 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: bar snack because they make customers thirsty so that you 164 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: will hopefully order another drink and famous Signfeld line, these 165 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: pretzels are making me their That was the first episode 166 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: I ever saw. I remember, yeah, because we couldn't get 167 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: the TV to work, and we were like, you know, tuning, 168 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: no one knows what tuning it, and like hitting it 169 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: and I just remember like getting snippets of these pretzels 170 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: are making the thirsty sein fold cord of the episode, 171 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:27,439 Speaker 1: which brings us to how are they made? Oh? Okay, 172 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: all right. The making of pretzels touches on a lot 173 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: of the areas that make baking such an interesting intersection 174 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: of sciences. I really nerded out about this. Okay, um, alright. 175 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: First of all, you're you're making a yeast dough, which 176 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: means a up we're talking about fermentation yeast pooh um. 177 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: Baker's yeast is a single celled fungus that basically eats 178 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: sugars and poops carbon dioxide, alcohol, and a few other 179 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: compounds that we humans can experience as flavor in pretzels. 180 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: The carbon dioxide bubbles are are going to give you 181 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 1: that nice puff, a good airy lift in the dough. Yeah, 182 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: the alcohol will largely boil off in the oven, but 183 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: that and those other compounds help flavor the dough. Recipes 184 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: recommend allowing the yeas to work in the dough for 185 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: a full twenty four hours to allow all that good 186 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: flavor stuff to happen before you even shape the pretzels. 187 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: And at that point you've probably also got some of 188 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: that ubiquitous lactic acid bacteria working for you to um, 189 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 1: creating a little bit of extra tang in the dough bacteria. Whoa, Yeah, 190 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,199 Speaker 1: after shaping the pretzels, you let them rest again to rise. 191 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: But then we get to the crust, that delicious crust. 192 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: Have you ever noticed how how pretzels have that huge 193 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: color contrast that that hagany brown crust and like basically 194 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: pure wete interior. Well, I mean they should okay, and 195 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 1: that's because the crust is traditionally treated with an alkaline 196 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: solution before the pretzels are baked. Um. The shaped risin 197 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: pretzels are are dipped in a solution of lye or 198 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: baking soda dissolved in hot water right before they're baked, 199 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: and this messages with the surface of the dough in 200 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: really delicious ways. Okay, we've spoken before on the show 201 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: about the Mayard reaction. This is a browning process that 202 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: that's a heat activated chain reaction among amino acids and 203 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: sugars that creates deeper colors and tastier flavors and anything 204 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: from the surface of a steak to the surface of 205 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: a loaf of bread. When you dip a pretzel into 206 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: an alkaline enough solution, some of the complex proteins in 207 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: the surface of the dough will break down into their 208 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: component amino acids, which means that you've got more fuel 209 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 1: for the Melliard reaction in this treated pretzel dough than 210 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: you would in like your average bread dough, which makes 211 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: the crust of the pretzel darker and more flavorful. Mm hmm. 212 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: I didn't see any articles discussing the chew or crisp 213 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,199 Speaker 1: of the pretzel crust it I would suppose that's similar 214 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: to how you parboil bagels to gelatinize the starches in 215 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: the crust and make the crust chewy. A combination of 216 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: the heat from the alkaline water dip and and maybe 217 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: even the alkalinity itself um will create like a lesser 218 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: but kind of similar chew in a well made pretzel. 219 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: That's I'm guessing going out on a science loom here. Yeah, 220 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: if you're looking to make pretzels at home, by the way, 221 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 1: you totally can. Getting the shape right is not as 222 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: easy as they make it look. But but you know, technically, 223 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: baking it is no harder than any other yeast dough adventure. 224 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: Just be careful if you choose to go that lie 225 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: root or even with baking soda, because you're creating a 226 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: very alkaline solution like that that will There are lots 227 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: of recipes online with appropriately cautious warnings and procedural notes, 228 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: because that stuff will burn the heck out of you 229 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 1: if you do not respect it. Have you ever made pretzels? 230 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: I have not. Maybe we should wait. There's like something 231 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 1: at the back of my brain that's paying the like 232 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: maybe when I was a tiny child, you remember making 233 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: the shape, yeah, or maybe I just did that with 234 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 1: I don't know. I feel like that was a Christmas 235 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 1: ornament thing that I did, where you like melted peppermints 236 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: into that shape. I don't know. Well, maybe one day 237 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: we'll make pretzels, even though if there's like a warnings 238 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: around it, probably we should. We'll get out those goggles. Yeah, okay, now, 239 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: I mean the pretzel is pretty ubiquitous nowadays, but it 240 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: used to be really fancy and religious. Yeah, and we'll 241 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: get into that after a quick break for word from 242 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: our sponsor and we're back, Thank you sponsor. Alright, So, 243 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: the first pretzels most likely go back to sixth century Europe, 244 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: either France, Germany, or Italy. And with all of these 245 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: food origin stories, it's really difficult to bend down the 246 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 1: first because people were probably doing whatever the thing is 247 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: earlier than the earliest recorded dates. It kind of depends 248 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: on how you define like the ancestor of a thing. 249 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: Um records will get lost or we're never made same 250 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: thing with the pretzel. Although actually there is no actual 251 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: documentation from the from the time to back this up. 252 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: It's kind of like retroactive. Somebody said it happened later, 253 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: but anyway, okay, okay. The generally accepted story of the 254 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: pretzel is as follows and six d ten CE an 255 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: Italian monk was looking for a way to get his 256 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: students to pay attention, so he rolled out some dough 257 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: into ropes, twisted and arranged them so that they looked 258 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: like hands folded over the chest in prayer. Then he 259 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: baked them up and named them pretiola, the Latin word 260 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: for little reward, because he gave them the children who 261 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: memorized their prayers. Or perhaps the original name was prissel, 262 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: which is the Latin word for little arms. When the 263 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: pretzel made its way to Germany, it got the name pretzel. Pretzel. 264 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: I think that's a pretty I can see how that happens. Yes, Now, 265 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: another piece of this has to do with Lent, which 266 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: was much stricter at this time. Um no meat, no dairy, 267 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: no eggs, only one meal a day, and it couldn't 268 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: be from animals. But pretzels. They were an ideal snack 269 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: because it's just water, flower and salts. Catholics in particular 270 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: once considered pretzels as the official food of Lent. In fact, 271 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: some theorized that pretzels were developed specifically for lens. Pretzels 272 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: are just about the most symbolically religious food there is, 273 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: I know, all right. The folds are meant to represent 274 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: holding hands in prayer, the three holes, the Holy Trinity, 275 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: of the Father's Son, Holy Ghost. They were seen as 276 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: good luck, as a sign of prosperity, and symbolic of 277 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: spiritual fulfillment. As such, they were often given to the knee. Okay. 278 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: Some sources described the practice of hiding pretzels from children 279 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: in an early version of the modern day Easter egg hunt. 280 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: What can you imagine? I can, That's great, it is. 281 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: Side note, I was so competitive at Easter egg hunts 282 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: as a child. My family put a limit on how 283 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: many golden eggs I could find because we had like 284 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: them and everyone else is allowed a two minute and start. 285 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: This information does not surprise me at all. Uh My 286 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: mom still does an Easter egg hunt for me to 287 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: this day. Yeah, it's like just me, she's the best. 288 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: She's out there like cheering me on, and I get 289 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: I'm so competitive. I get into it. I still even 290 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: though no one else is playing. No. Every now and 291 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: then if someone else's home, they'll they'll indulge me. But 292 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 1: sometimes it's just me and we do it at night 293 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: with flashlight anyway. Yeah. One of the first recorded documentations 294 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: of a pretzel comes from eleven eleven c e on 295 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 1: the crest of a German baker's guild. Okay, and some 296 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: sources mentioned something called an escort pretzel. Escort pretzel, I 297 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: love this, um So around the same time, since traders 298 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 1: attending the Frankfurt Fair were at risk of being robbed, 299 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: townspeople rode out to meet them, bearing gifts of wine 300 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: and pretzels. And that sounds lovely, that does so I 301 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: want escort pretzel and we need an escort pretzel. Okay, 302 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: we gottta bring that back. Yes, a pretzel was depicted 303 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 1: in the twelfth century Hortess dayliki Arum. The Hortess dailyk 304 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 1: Yarum was an illustrated encyclopedia, the first put together by 305 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: a woman, Hurard of Alansberg, who was a German nun. 306 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: The imaging question is sort of a biblical dinner party 307 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: with Queen Esther and King Ahasuaris, and on their table 308 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: is a fish uh plate, fish dishes and goblets and 309 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: a single pretzel and it's very clearly a pretzel. It's 310 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: like obviously a pretzel, Like that is what that is. Yeah. 311 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: A fourteen forty prayer book owned by Catherine of Cleaves 312 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: contained a picture of St. Bartholomew with pretzels on all sides, 313 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: like he's surrounded by pretzels. Um. Pretzels were used as 314 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,919 Speaker 1: decorations for Christmas trees in sixteenth century Austria. Love It 315 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: and European baker's guilds frequently used the pretzel as a symbol, 316 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: and the loops were handy for storing and carrying pretzels. 317 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,880 Speaker 1: Vendors would carry them on sticks and sell them on streets, 318 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 1: similar to bagels or donuts. Past episodes we've talked about that, 319 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: and modernly you might see the symbol of a lion 320 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: holding a pretzel shaped shield outside bakeries in Austria. This 321 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: allegedly goes back to Fife when Austrian bakers and or 322 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 1: monks in a monastery um, depending on what you read, 323 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: we're doing their pre dawn pretzel prep and heard the 324 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 1: sounds of tunneling on to Vienna Ottoman turn during the 325 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: Siege of Vienna, and they rang the warning bell. They 326 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 1: let the authorities now, and the King of Austria rewarded 327 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: them with their own coat of arms. Wow, it's pretty cool. Yeah, 328 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: and up until this point, the pretzels we've been talking 329 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: about are of the soft variety. Hard pretzels came on 330 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 1: the scene the late sixteen hundreds. Um again, multiple versions 331 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: of the story, but here's here's a popular one. When 332 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: a baker in Pennsylvania fell asleep while baking a batch 333 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: of pretzels. His boss took a spiteful bite out of 334 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: one of the pretzels to drive his angry point home. 335 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,119 Speaker 1: But then he was like, whoa, these are good, we 336 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: should sell and delicious. Let's yeah, never mind, not mad 337 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: at you anymore. In sixteenth century Germany, pretzels were a 338 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:51,239 Speaker 1: traditional good Friday food, and apparently on New Year's Day 339 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: in Germany, children wear pretzels around their necks for a luk, 340 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: a practice that got started in the seventeenth century. Listeners, 341 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: let us know, I'm picturing more like a necklace with 342 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,159 Speaker 1: a pretzel on it than like a pretzel that is, 343 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: although I like that second thing. Yeah, well, I have 344 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: made many a pretzel necklace at beer festivals, sharing and 345 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: just get to string. But all the pretzels on me 346 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: eat them throughout the day. That's very handy. Another pretzel tradition. 347 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: I sincerely hope it's true. From what I read, the 348 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: phrase tying the knot comes from the Swiss wedding tradition 349 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: where newlyweds would make a wish and break the lucky pretzel, 350 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: kind of like how we do with a wishbone. Um. 351 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: This dates back to royal couples in sixteen fourteen incorporating 352 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: the pretzel as a symbol of undying love in their ceremonies. 353 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: I think that the tying the knot thing is like 354 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 1: old like like not tying ceremonies, like where the couple 355 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,199 Speaker 1: would hold a rope and not nights. But I like 356 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,360 Speaker 1: this too, I know, I well, I hope that they 357 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: hope that both are true. Yes, it can be. Why not? Yes? 358 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: Why not? Bow? Another another tradition German boys again, please 359 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,640 Speaker 1: write in if this is true. German boys would paint 360 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: a pretzel on the doors of the people they fancied, 361 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: and in Luxembourg there was or is something called Pretzel 362 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 1: Day where you would give gave the person you were 363 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: in love with a pretzel or a cake shaped like 364 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: a pretzel. I love it. Okay, listeners were giving you 365 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: a lot of homework. Historians think pretzels probably made the 366 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: journey across the Atlantic with the Pilgrims and may have 367 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: even been used to trade with Native Americans. In either case, 368 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 1: German immigrants arriving to Pennsylvania in seventeen ten four Shure 369 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: brought pretzels with them. The first written mention of them 370 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: in America appeared in eighteen twenty four. One story goes 371 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: that the Dutch introduced the pretzel to America, and in 372 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: sixteen fifty two Yachum Wessel was arrested for using good 373 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: flower and clothes to make pretzels for sale to Native 374 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 1: Americans when white colonists were using brand flour. The first 375 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: commercial pretzel bakery opened and lit its Pennsylvania in eighteen 376 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,640 Speaker 1: sixty one, operated by baker Julius Sturgis. The story goes 377 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: or just got the recipe for his pretzels after he 378 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: provided a free dinner to a man who's struggling to 379 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,880 Speaker 1: make his meat cool. If true, Surges served up hard 380 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: pretzels on purpose, there is a story that he is 381 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: the one who came up with them. They're longer shelf 382 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: life made them a popular option. Some historians, Yeah, they 383 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: give him the credit for this invention of the hard pretzel. Um, 384 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:40,479 Speaker 1: but some specify on purpose inventor histories mysteries. Yeah, you 385 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: can still visit that original bakery. By the way. They've 386 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: got a sort of like interactive museum there, and the 387 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 1: Sturgis family is still in the pretzel making business five 388 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: generations in. I want to visit. Pretzels were a handmade 389 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: venture until the nineteen thirties. One person could turn out 390 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: about forty a minute, which is really impressive to me. Um. 391 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: The first automated pretzel machine debuted in Nive from the 392 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: Reading Pretzel Machinery Company, and this baby could turn out 393 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: two five pretzels a minute, or about five tons a day. 394 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty one, Hammond's Pretzel Bakery opened its doors 395 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: and the nearby to let its Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are 396 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: now the oldest continuously family operated handmade pretzel bakery in 397 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: the United States. Yeah, this is around the same time 398 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: the chocolate covered pretzel was introduced. Those I love. Apparently 399 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: chocolate covered potato chips are older. If you've never had those, 400 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: they are worthwhile. Yeah. Oh, yeah, pretzel bread came to 401 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: us sometime during the nineteen eighties, probably from Chicago. Also 402 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: in the eighties, One and Bailer about a stand in 403 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: a farmer's market in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which would become the 404 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: national chain. Auntie ants, yes, and then we get many 405 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: iterations of pretzels. You get pretzel sticks, those flat pretzels. Oh, yeah, 406 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: they're like pretzel things. Those are good. Those are good. 407 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: That's weird me out. Yeah, yeah, I don't think I 408 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:18,119 Speaker 1: don't I don't think they're right. I don't think it's 409 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: right to just have a crest. And no, it's not right. 410 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 1: It's just not right. Cool. Learning a lot about this 411 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: intention endeavor that we're going on. Man, I really want 412 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: to soft pretzel now I can tell you that. Yeah, 413 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: this was a serious craving episode. Um, and we've got 414 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: a little bit more science for you. But first we've 415 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: got one more quick break for a word from our sponsor, 416 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 1: and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. So 417 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: I wanted to mention and that pretzels come up a 418 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: lot when math humans want to explain extremely complex theories 419 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: to lay people. Really Yeah, okay, alright, for example, not 420 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 1: theory all right. Not theory is a it's it's spelled 421 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: k n ot not like not like the antithesis. Right, yeah, 422 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: I can't tell you about that one. But um but 423 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: not theory is a branch of mathematics that it examines 424 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: closed three dimensional shapes, like like a ring would be 425 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: the simplest mathematical not in this in this concept. Other 426 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: other simple examples um include an infinity or figure eight 427 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: and a treefoil and a pretzel m hm. The ways 428 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 1: in which these knots can be manipulated and their distinct 429 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:52,640 Speaker 1: physical properties have applications and everything from chemistry like molecular knots, 430 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: to biology like like protein knots folded proteins. Yeah uh, 431 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: to physics because it works as a metaphor for the 432 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: properties and behavior of sub atomic particles and quantum mechanics. 433 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: One example of this, of this quantum mechanics thing, okay, 434 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 1: all right, back in the late nineties early two thousand's, 435 00:27:12,119 --> 00:27:14,919 Speaker 1: there were these experiments out of the Thomas Jefferson National 436 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: Accelerator Facility in Virginia that showed that at any given point, okay, 437 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,640 Speaker 1: you think of you think of a proton is being 438 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 1: a sphere, right, sure, um, but these experiments showed that 439 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,080 Speaker 1: at any given point, a proton might exist as any 440 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:33,440 Speaker 1: number of shapes, and the probability of of of all 441 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: of those different shapes it might be will smudge out 442 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: into more or less rounded sphere on average. But they 443 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: were saying, like, you might as well call a protons 444 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:48,480 Speaker 1: real shape a peanut or a donut or a pretzel. 445 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: So cool. And then when the Royal Swedish Academy of 446 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: Sciences announced the winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics, 447 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: they demonstrated the concept with a cinnamon roll, a bagel, 448 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: and a pretzel. To oversimplify their simplification, okay, okay um. 449 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,959 Speaker 1: The work that they were honoring here was, in their words, 450 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter. 451 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: I do not understand this very well, but I think 452 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: that this work has to do with um, with how 453 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: we can study and identify the state of a of 454 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: a quantum system, sort of obliquely, by by studying the 455 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: energy of the electrons in that system and by bringing 456 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: out these baked goods. The the Academy was making an 457 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: analogy um to the ways that you can identify a 458 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: baked good obliquely by studying some of the physical properties 459 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: of that baked good, like how is it noted? How 460 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: many holes does it have? I take it that this 461 00:28:55,120 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: is super hilarious if you like speak quantum mechanics um. 462 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: And I wish I'd got the joke better and could 463 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: explain it to y'all, But I just love that they 464 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: did it. Oh, I do too. It's beautiful. Who knew 465 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: pretzels cinnamon rolls? It's beautiful, so so useful for so many, 466 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: so many quantum mechanical concepts. And that brings us to 467 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: the end of this our twisty tourney naughty Pretzel episode. 468 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: And to listener, hey, learning, I mean to be fair, 469 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: I'm very confusing and a lot of times it just 470 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: happens on the fly. So you and I am like, 471 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:49,800 Speaker 1: where is this going? Casey wrote, I work in an 472 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: elementary school string orchestra program where our students have never 473 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: played an instrument before. String instruments present the double challenge 474 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: of having to learn where the fingers go to make 475 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: the right note and also learning how to draw the 476 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: bow across the strings to make the note ring out. 477 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: It's kind of like learning two instruments at the same time. 478 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: One of the key practices we teach the kids for 479 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: a good sound is to keep the bow parallel to 480 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: the bridge of the instrument perpendicular to the strings. Each 481 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: instrument has a relative sweet spot of distance away from 482 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: the bridge where the sound is the clearest, and for 483 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: the kids, we describe that distance in term of kit cats, 484 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: meaning the individual bars, not the whole package. For violence, 485 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: the bow should be approximately one kit cat from the 486 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: bridge for viola's, two for cellos three, and for basses four. 487 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: Throughout the year, we have a series of kit cat 488 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: challenges where the kids try to play a short, simple 489 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 1: piece in front of their peers with good, strong tone 490 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: and the bow the appropriate number of kit cats from 491 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: the bridge. If they succeed, they get a whole kid cut. 492 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: We're really picky, so we only give out one two 493 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: a week, but they love the challenge. It's hard arming, 494 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: the way they choose each other on, congratulate each other 495 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: when they succeed, and support each other when they don't. 496 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: Oh that is great, I'll love it. This that would 497 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: work on me. I think that I would have stuck 498 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: with learning guitar if there had been involves involved. Yeah, yeah, 499 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: not that you use a bow on a guitar anyway, 500 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:17,200 Speaker 1: or I mean I didn't. Maybe this was my problem. 501 00:31:19,520 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: Amy wrote a bit in my background. I grew up 502 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: in Minnesota, but since I was around twenty years old, 503 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: I've lived in Spain. I lived in a small village 504 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: close to Madrid. I have to tell a story about 505 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 1: baking powder and baking soda, since Annie wasn't clear before 506 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,400 Speaker 1: growing up. I was in four h and one year 507 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: for the county fair, I made baking powder biscuits, or 508 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: shall I say I tried to, as generally happened in 509 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: my case, I did little preparation until it was fair time. 510 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: You're supposed to be practicing all year long law. Anyway. 511 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: I made my biscuits, which are more similar to a 512 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 1: drop cookie, but savory. I got to the fair and 513 00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: turned them into the judge. She dearly choked on them. 514 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: Since I had inadvertently put baking soda in the recipe 515 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: instead of baking powder. Had a hard time explaining how 516 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: I could have done that if I had actually made 517 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: the recipe. Many times, I also worked at Hardy's, the 518 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: fast food chain in the late eighties. My brother also 519 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: worked there, and one of the best things he did 520 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 1: was to make the biscuits for the breakfast crowd. One 521 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:21,239 Speaker 1: of the things I missed the most living here in 522 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: Spain is no biscuits and gravy. I tried to eat 523 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 1: it when I'm back, but I wasn't able to fit 524 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: it in last time. It is definitely making it on 525 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: the to do list from my next visit. Oh and 526 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 1: Jim Beam. When bourbon started to gain popularity in Spain 527 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: in the nineties, one of our friends had heard about 528 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: Jim Beam and wanted to try it. Four Roses was 529 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: the only bourbon sold in Spain for the longest time, 530 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: so he went to a disco and ordered a Jim 531 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 1: Beam with Coca Cola, expecting that the bartender would be 532 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: in awe that he had heard of that bourbon, much 533 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: to his disappointment, and are forever giggles, the bartender said 534 00:32:54,040 --> 00:33:00,040 Speaker 1: a Jim Beam of what Oh the early days of 535 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: trying to impress bartender your drink choice and they're so unimpressed. 536 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 1: I remember them well, oh oh, I wish I could 537 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: forget anyway. Thanks to both of them for writing in. 538 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us, you can. 539 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: Our email is Hello at favor pod dot com. You 540 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: can also contact us on social media. We are on Twitter, Facebook, 541 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: and Instagram at savor pod. We do hope to hear 542 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: from you. Thank you as always to our superproducers Andrew 543 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: Howard and Dylan Fagan. Thank you to you for listening, 544 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 545 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: your way.