All About Gourmet Pretzels

Pretzels are, undoubtedly, one of the most popular snacks in America. It is commonly estimated that people in the U.S. eat about two pounds of pretzels each year, spending around $550 million on the snacks. Last year, “chips, pretzels and snacks” ranked as the third-place category in retail sales in America. In fact, four of the top 100 snacks of all time as rated by Thrillist are pretzels. 

There are 3 main types of pretzels

1. Soft Pretzels
   These are the soft, warm pretzels that you get at the ballpark or in a restaurant. They usually come with cheese sauce or mustard for dipping. They usually have really coarse salt on the outside for a salty bite. 
2. Pretzel Crisps
   Pretzel crisps do double duty as a cracker in lunch boxes. They are very thin and can break easily. 
3. Hard Pretzels
   These are the crunchy varieties. In the hard pretzel family, there are pretzel sticks, pretzel nuggets and the traditional knot shape snacks that come in a variety of sizes. While these are all delicious snacking options, we prefer gourmet pretzels.  

What makes a pretzel a gourmet pretzel?

There isn’t one specific thing that makes pretzels gourmet. We believe it takes a combination of traits to make these classic snacks something really special that deserves the label of gourmet. We think these five things make our flavored pretzels a gourmet snack.

1. Fabulous Flavor
   The bold and wildly flavorful seasonings we use truly transform a favorite American snack into gourmet pretzels. OMG! Pretzels offers eight distinctive varieties of flavored pretzels – four savory and four sweet. From our flagship Garlic Pretzels with a perfect blend of herbs and spices to our Sweet & Salty Pretzels that are craving-worthy, our line of flavored pretzels can please any palate.Our gourmet pretzels bring the crunch, which enhances the flavor of each sourdough nugget, and makes OMG! Pretzels an elevated snack. Each of our unique flavors is carefully crafted by OMG! co-founder, chief baker, and “mama” Lynn. She centers her ideas on family favorites from her decades of entertaining, as well as suggestions from friends and customers. Once an idea gains traction, she tests the recipes in her kitchen and shares samples to get feedback. After the recipe is tweaked to perfection, it’s ready for a big test batch.Lynn loves sharing our delicious, flavored pretzels with others to enjoy. “It’s simply wonderful that our gourmet pretzels can be used for special occasions in homes across the country like we’ve been doing for so many years,” she says.
2. Premium Ingredients
   OMG! Pretzels are always made with wholesome, high-quality ingredients. Our gourmet pretzels require the best components to ensure that our flavors are consistent and delicious in every package of OMG! Pretzels that you get. We take pride in sourcing our ingredients and only partnering with vendors who share our love of gourmet goods.Our pretzels are made with just four all-natural ingredients – wheat flour, salt, yeast and baking soda – and are preservative free. All of our sweet, flavored pretzels use raw cane sugar. The spices we use are dehydrated for ultimate flavor on our crunchy sourdough pretzel nuggets. Canola oil, which contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and has less saturated fat than other oils, is used in each of our flavored pretzels to help the coating stick.A few of our stand-out ingredients include, jalapeno pepper, molasses, cinnamon, buttermilk, chili powder, garlic, parmesan cheese, maple syrup, lemon zest, raw cane sugar, and black pepper.
3. Very Versatile
   Another advantage of our flavored pretzels whichmakes them a gourmet delight is that you can eat them alone as a delicious snack or you can incorporate them into recipes to amp up the flavor and crunch of your favorite dishes. The versatility of OMG! Pretzels speaks for itself!Our sourdough pretzels are terrific on their own because of their wide variety of flavors and fantastic snackability. They are also great for small holiday gatherings to pair with beer or wine or as a complement to cheese plates. Savory OMG! Pretzels – Garlic, Lemon Pepper, Cheddar Jalapeno, or Chesapeake Spice – also make the perfect crunchy topping for holiday casseroles or on salads and soups. The sweet pretzels – Sweet & Salty, Salty Butterscotch, or Sweet & Spicy – are also a great addition to a morning yogurt parfait or holiday trifle dessert.There are so many ways to entertain with gourmet pretzels. We love incorporating flavored pretzels into simple appetizers and for celebrating holidays. We also think it’s fun to add them to hot chocolate or ice cream sundae bars for a sweet treat.No matter how you enjoy our gourmet pretzels, your tastebuds will be in love!
4. Lots of Love
   Our gourmet pretzels are truly an extension of our family. Before they had a name and logo, our flavored pretzels had been enjoyed for decades by our family and friends. For us, sharing our recipes and delicious snacks with all of you is a dream come true. Because this is such a personal venture, we focus on quality and top-notch customer service.Every member of the OMG! Pretzels’ team cares about our products and the people we are serving through the creation of our gourmet pretzels. From the crews in the kitchens to those on the packaging line, quality control is always top of mind. Our sales team only looks for the best specialty stores and boutiques in the country for us to be retail partners with and our corporate office always makes decisions with our mission in mind.
5. Great Gifts
   Gourmet food items always make exceptional gifts. From a simple bag of our gourmet pretzels to say thank you to a friend to a variety pack you ship a loved one who is recovering from an illness or injury, OMG! Pretzels are a yummy way to show you care.Our flavored pretzels are also a treasured part of any gourmet gift basket. You can customize the gift based on the occasion you are celebrating. Birthday gift baskets full of the recipient’s favorite things is a great way to show you really know them. Baskets for Valentine’s Day that include sweets, flavored pretzels, chocolates, and a bottle of wine is a lovely gift for a friend or that special someone. For Easter, make an adult-friendly gift basket with gourmet snacks like OMG! Pretzels, fancy chocolate eggs, and bath bombs (they look like eggs). 

Now that you know our five secrets to gourmet pretzels, we hope you’ll appreciate them even more. We are excited to continue growing our brand and line of flavored pretzels. Who knows what might be coming next…