The world 's oldest pretzel has been discovered by archaeologists in Germany - and has lost none of its appeal despite being baked 250 years ago . The popular snack was found at an excavation site in the eastern Bavarian city of Regensburg and experts believe it was thrown away in disappointment after being burnt to a crisp in the oven . The black pretzel was discovered alongside the charred remains of a bread roll and a croissant and it is thought that the food items have been preserved for so long because they were badly burnt by their 18th century baker . Lasting flavour : The world 's oldest pretzel was discovered in the eastern Bavarian city of Regensburg . Silvia Codreanau-Windauer from the Bavarian Bureau for the Conservation of Historic Monuments told The Local : 'This is definitely the oldest pretzel ever found . ' The mayor of Regensburg Joachim Wolbergs added . 'This discovery is really extraordinary , because it depicts a snippet of everyday life . ' Pretzels are a traditional south German and Austrian delicacy and have been a favorite in Germany for centuries . In Bavaria , pretzels are often eaten for breakfast alongside weisswurst ( white sausage ) with sweet mustard . Also found : The charred remains of a bread roll were found near the pretzel and experts believe the baked goods have been preserved because they were burnt by an 18th century baker who then threw them away . Charred remains : The pretzel measures four inches and the mayor of Regensburg , where it was found , has called the discovery 'extraordinary ' The earliest recorded evidence of pretzels comes from 1111 when they appear in the crest of German bakers ' guilds in 1111 . The snacks have long been integrated into the Christian faith . By the 16th century , it had become tradition to eat pretzels on Good Friday in Germany , and Catholics once considered them the official food of lent . Today , pretzels are most popular in the USA and Germany . Source : www.todayifoundout.com . Speaking to The Local , Ms Codreanu-Windauer added some historical context to the find , saying : 'The form of the pretzel is supposed to represent the crossed arms of monks . Eventually it ended up as a fasting meal . ' Monks are the symbol of Bavaria 's capital Munich and different orders and monasteries give their names to many of the state 's most prominent beers . The excavation site in Regensburg has been a hit with archaeologists , who recently discovered a wooden house there thought to be up to 1,200 years old . On the site , which lies on the Danube , there are plans to build a museum for Bavarian history to mark the 2018 centenary of the region 's status as a free state . The excavation site in Regensburg , Bavaria , has been fruitful for archaeologists , who recently discovered a wooden house there thought to be up to 1,200 years old . Popular snack : Pretzels are a traditional south German and Austrian delicacy and have been a favorite in Germany for centuries .
Traditional snack was found next to croissant and bread roll in Regensburg . All are charred and experts believe they were burnt by centuries baker . They concluded that the preservation is a result of them being burnt . Pretzels have been a popular snack in Germany and Austria for 18th century .