The Philly soft pretzel owes its life to a man from Drexel Hill. Joseph Nacchio started the Federal Pretzel Baking Co. of Philadelphia in the 1920s.

It’s believed that Philadelphians eat more soft pretzels per capita than anywhere else in the United States, writes Danya Henninger for Billy Penn.

Urban legend says the city’s pretzel consumption is 12 times the national average.

Pennsylvania produces 80 percent of the nation’s pretzel supply. The Philly soft pretzel still stands on its own.

For one thing, it’s oblong, not heart-shaped. That creates a unique texture, flavor, and versatility.

“Snagging one on the way to school to eat as breakfast is a rite many Philly kids know well. It works because of the softness of the style, which eats more like a bagel than the unwieldy, crusty twist you’d get at a German beer hall,” Henninger writes.

The Philly soft pretzel sweet spot, a center knot, is “uniquely sublime.”

Twitter user @harpmuto sketched out the anatomy of a Philly pretzel in a meme.

“This was handcrafted by god. I have never had the pleasure of eating something so incredibly delicious until right now in this moment,” he states in the meme.

Read more at Billy Penn about what makes the Philadelphia soft pretzel better than the rest.

See how the Philly Pretzel Factory makes its pretzels.