Pressels – Everything

Ever since I was a child, I’ve harboured a prejudice against pretzels. I don’t know how it started, or when it started, but I do know that for as long as I can remember, I tended to not like them. It was never enough that I would waste them, as they are still considered an edible food in my eyes. I would just treat them like anything else I don’t like to eat; eat it all first to get it out of the way so I can enjoy the good stuff. It’s also the biggest reason I tend to avoid party mixes, because they always have pretzels in them. To me, it’s the filler of the bag, to try and get the weight count up so they can give you less of the lighter, tastier stuff like cheese sticks.

I think my issue is more with plain, salted pretzels. I absolutely love the pretzel bites by Snyder’s of Hanover, but those have so much flavouring it almost doesn’t count as a pretzel in my eyes. Something about a typical, salted pretzel that’s very dry and boring to me. It’s something I would eat when nothing else is available, but at the same time not something I would ever pay money for. Something about how dry and unflavoured it is, while simultaneously being super salty from the giant salt cubes baked into the outside of the sticks, makes it a generally unappetizing proposition for me. I tell you all this in full disclosure, as I try to be as honest and open with you before I go into this. It also gives me an easy out if I end up not liking whatever it is I’m eating.

Much like the typical everything pretzel, this flavour is supposed to an everything style bagel, with garlic, sesame, onion, and black caraway seeds. What makes these interesting is in their namesake; these pretzels are pressed to make them nice and thin. They are baked, as opposed to fried, which depending on your preference can either be a good or bad thing. I tend to like baked snacks, but I also prefer my snacks to be a bit on the drier side. These snacks are also vegan, and non-GMO if any of that factors into your purchasing decision. I can honestly say that I only picked this up because it was on sale and I liked the shapes these things came in. Everything is better when it’s shaped like a flat bagel, right? Gotta give props to Dream Pretzel for coming up with a creative way to sell the boring, traditional pretzels.

Speaking of bagels, opening this bad boy up, I am instantly reminded of the smell that comes off of a batch of everything bagels you’d find at a typical bakery. If you’ve never had an everything bagel, you might not be familiar with the smell; it’s kind of like a combination of garlic, onion and salt, with a hint of the sesame seed and black caraway that give it a mellow, almost licorice quality to the scent. It brings me back to my childhood, and it’s a smell I remember fondly.

Each of these pieces is roughly the size of a dollar coin, and have a small hole in the middle. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to mean anything, or it’s just the ideal way to bake it, but it’s definitely distinct. Each piece also looks like it came off a baking tray, with the bottom having grill or rack marks on it, while the top looks kind of like a flattened, or pressed bagel. Each piece has a fair portion of toppings on it, so that’s always a good thing.

Let’s start with texture, since that’s the most important thing with pretzels, in my opinion. This is interesting, because it has a similar texture to the classic pretzel, in that the outer “skin” is ever so slightly brittle, while the inside is kind of dry and crumbly. These have that feature, but perhaps due to the shape of it, it eats more like a cracker because of the surface area. Something about this format just seems to work so much better than the classic pretzel. Perhaps it’s the proportion of the outer part vs. the inner. Either way, this has a nice crunch and firmness to it, that would make it ideal for dipping. The pieces hold up fairly well, so while they aren’t big, they could make for great dippers with a cheese or hummus. Being the rebel that I am though, I’m eating these dry. A wise man said to me that only psychopaths eat pretzels dry. Make of that what you will.

In terms of flavour, I’ve come to expect very little from pretzels. These ones aren’t that far off from the typical pretzel, but they do have a nice flavour from the seasoning, reminding me of eating an everything bagel. Part of that may also be due to the shape; since it has a flat side, it can allow the seasoning to attach onto it much easier than say, a thin stick pretzel, which would have a hard time holding on to the seasoning without having it fall off. I think the garlic and onion seasoning really help to give this a flavour beyond just being salty, like other pretzels. I can’t seem to stop myself from finishing them, despite them being just as dry as normal pretzels. Keep a drink or a beer on hand if you plan on eating these solo.

Overall I’d say these are not bad. They have definitely changed my stance on pretzels a bit, and I would consider getting these again. It’s important to note that these aren’t exactly priced the same way as your typical pretzel; these cost me about $3 and they were already on sale, so keep that in mind. If you’re on the fence about pretzels, these might push you into giving them a chance, like it did for me. Not all pretzels are born evil and dry. That’s all I’m saying. Okay maybe dry, but not all evil.