Not only is October Vegetarian Awareness Month, it's also National Pretzel Month, which may or may not have something to do with the timing of Oktoberfest. Everyone knows beer and pretzels are a classic combination. Or maybe there's some shadowy pretzel lobby in Washington (There is, after all, an American Pretzel Association) waging war against the other, much more popular snack foods.

One thing is certain: pretzels get no respect. In fact, while potato chips hold about 38 percent of the market and tortilla chips about 26 percent, the poor little pretzel rings in at a measly 8 percent. Even if pretzels aren't the flashiest snack food around, they certainly have history on their side.

While potato chips were reportedly invented in 1853 and tortilla chips in the late 1940s, pretzel lore holds that in the year 610 an Italian monk formed the first pretzel to represent arms folded in prayer, the three holes symbolizing the holy trinity.

And consider this: has any other snack food even come close to toppling a U.S. president? I think not.

-- Brian Bernbaum