The traditional lye pastry ‘Bayerische Breze’ has received the European Union status which means that at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation must take place in Bavaria.
The product must also have a winded shaped – symbolizing arms folded in prayer – with a double knot in the center. The pretzel typically has a deep-glazed, copper-colored crust with light contrasts where rugged cracks are formed in the bakery product during baking.
Baked products manufactured and sold outside the EU, like Bavarian pretzels in the US, are not affected.
In 2013, the bakery industry saw a flurry of PGI statuses registered in the EU – from traditional Irish Blaa bread, Spain’s Catalonian bread, Italy’s dried fruit-based dessert, to Portugal’s cream-filled pastries.