A pretzel is a baked bread or snack, traditionally shaped into a distinctive knot and often finished with coarse salt. It has a toasted, mildly malty flavor; soft pretzels are chewy inside with a browned crust, while hard pretzels are crisp throughout. Popular internationally as a snack or street food, pretzels are also served with dips, used for sandwiches, or crushed into crumbs for coatings and desserts. They are especially associated with German-speaking cultures, where pretzel-making has a long history and the bread is a familiar bakery staple.