According to a legend, pretzels without eggs have been invented in 610 A.D. by Italian monks, as a way for people to consume them during Lent. Word of the pretzel delicacy quickly spread to Germany, and the Germans, who adored these soft and crunchy treats, brought them to America in the 1700s.

From then on, pretzels had made their way across America and came to the streets of New York, becoming a staple food of factory workers and day laborers. Today, some claim that there is nothing better on a rainy day than a soft, steamy pretzel that is sprinkled with coarse salt and dipped in bright yellow mustard.

Hard and shiny on the exterior, soft and tender on the interior, this tasty snack that is briefly boiled before getting baked became known as a New York-style pretzel, in order to differentiate it from its cousin, Philadelphia-style pretzel.