A taste test of the top pretzels in the city centre
Pretzels are quintessentially Southern German. They are so common and boring that nobody notices them in Munich, the capital of Bavaria and largest city in Southern Germany. Munich is not a foodie city, so you will get puzzled looks from locals if you ask where to find the best pretzel. A bit like asking Americans where to find the best pancakes.
While the rest of Germany calls this bread a “Brezel”, the Bavarians with their guttural accent call it “Brez’n”. These knotted bread strips are eaten by locals for breakfast and by masses of tourists in biergartens, especially during Oktoberfest. Pretzels are fussy to make because the dough has to be dipped in boiling water for a short while before baking. A good pretzel should be slightly chewy with a rich brown sheen and a lightly salted crust. Bonus points if the knotting is symmetrical and the bread has risen evenly.
Taste Test Method
Pretzels are best eaten when they are freshly baked. Most bakeries make them in the morning. So, this test was conducted in the morning.
- Only bakeries in the city centre were considered. Mostly because I didn’t have time to go further and I am not that crazy about pretzels.
- All bakeries were visited in the same morning between 7 am and 10 am.
- The plain pretzel (Brezel natur) is used for comparison because every bakery has it.
- Two tastings per pretzel: once immediately after purchasing and another 30 hours later (after re-heating). It’s easy for a fresh pretzel to taste good. It would be impressive if a day-old pretzel still remained delicious.