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This Small Pennsylvania City Is The Pretzel Capital Of The World. Here's Why
Pennsylvania would be justified in renaming itself "Pretzelvania." The Keystone State is responsible for churning out 80% of the pretzels in the U.S. At one point, the city of Reading played such a huge role in producing this popular snack that it was dubbed the "Pretzel Capital of the World." Located in the southeastern part of the state, Reading was once home to over 24 pretzel factories. The tale of how this happened has various twists and turns.
The most popular origin story begins with Julius Sturgis, who is often credited with opening the first commercial pretzel factory in the United States in 1861. Though the factory was situated in Lititz — not Reading — Sturgis' grandson Marriott would be inst
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