I generally like large, hard sourdough pretzels because just one pretzel – well, maybe two if I’ve been out running – is enough of a quick snack for me, perhaps with a glass of juice, or a satisfying part of a simple lunch. I like Utz Sourdough Hard Pretzels better than most other major brands I’ve tried because of their flavor, texture and freshness.
The Utz pretzels come in one-pound bags or three-pound plastic barrels; each pretzel is 90 calories, on average 470 milligrams of sodium, and 2 grams of protein; but no fat to speak of. They are twisted and pressed into shape, and coated with the light white topping salt I associate with soft pretzels sold in stadiums and by street vendors. For those of you who care: snack pretzels usually come with one of three kinds of salt. Some are topped with “rock pretzel salt,” which is made up of large, flat, rectangular granules of crushed, mined salt. Others are topped with broad, flat crystals that remind one very much of kosher salt. The Utz pretzels appear to be topped with a topping salt made of large, irregular white granules of compressed salt dust. The large granules have somewhat less sodium per unit volume than their crystalline cousins, but plenty of salt flavor because they seem to melt more quickly in your mouth.
The pretzels themselves are very airy, and are baked so as to have a shiny crust. I admit that I look at the different bags on the store shelves to find ones that are not too broken up – and as hard as these pretzels are that’s not too difficult.
I’ve tried various brands of hard sourdough pretzels – Snyder’s of Hanover, Bachmann, Anderson and Wege come to mind – but so far I prefer Utz. The Utz pretzels have a pleasant mild malty taste when you first crunch into a bite, In the past some other brands of hard sourdough pretzels I’ve tried occasionally, but not consistently, tasted over-baked – they had an almost burnt, slightly bitter flavor, and the dense salt crystals paved on their tops did not make them any better for me. In comparison the Utz pretzels always seem to have a sourdough flavor that reminds me a little of times I’ve walked on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, sharing a fresh-from-the-bakery warm baguette with a friend.
I have heard that people like to dip their pretzels in cheese or break them into their soup like oyster crackers or croutons, and although I imagine you could easily do that with the Utz pretzels I’m pretty happy to eat them as they come out of their container. I admit, however, that I’ve used them from time to time to swipe and eat a little excess mustard off a hot dog or sandwich edge, just for fun, and dipping them in chocolate has crossed my mind.
I prefer Utz sourdough hard pretzels because to me they taste like a crispy baked version of a soft sourdough pretzel, not an oversize version of a standard hard snack pretzel. They are pretty consistent, so if that bakery-bread flavor appeals to you then you might want to give them a try.
