Pretzel logic: Meet the gourmet festival that will celebrate a humble snack

The Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf will host Australia's first pretzel festival this weekend (April 29-30).

The town has proud German links and is well known for its pretzels, which are served at local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes in many different forms.

Whether your tastes are savoury or sweet, Australia’s oldest German settlement promises to have something to please your palate.

Think pretzel ice cream, pretzel cocktails, pretzel beer, gin, wine and pretzel matching, pretzel colouring in, pretzel pizza, naan pretzel. pretzel pasta, pretzel making, pretzel jewellery, competitions, sweet pretzels, sour pretzels, pretzel fudge, pretzel latte, pretzel chocolate flowers, gingerbread pretzels, pretzel fashions and .... OK, you get the picture.



The new festival is the brainchild of the Hahndorf Business and Traders Association.

"It is actually surprising we haven’t run a festival celebrating the pretzel until now,” says festival director and Hahndorf marketing manager Mikyla Gilbert.

The pretzel is thought to have originated in Europe, possibly created by monks in monasteries. It has gained huge popularity in the US, where it is a billion-dollar industry.

Hot pretzels are popular as street snacks and crunchy crispy smaller pretzels are served in bars across the globe.

“Being Australia’s oldest German settlement as a village we should take pride in celebrating the pretzel with visitors," says Gilbert.

“We are encouraging the entire trader community to celebrate the doughy, salty pretzel in as many ways as possible."

And, of course, once you have had you fill of pretzels, Hahndorf is surrounded by several of Australia's best wine producers.  

For more details see https://hahndorfsa.org.au/pretzel-festval/