Where do bagels come from? - Secrets No One Ever Told You Secrets No One Ever Told You Where do bagels come from? May 13, 2011 Bagels: Why are they thought of as “Jewish” and how did they end up as housing for lox and cream cheese? Here’s the consensus of opinion along with some links that will tell you more … beginning with excerpts from my favorite of the group: Excerpts from an article in Slate , “A Short History of the Bagel,” by Joan Nathan “After years of research on Jewish food in America, I thought I had discovered all there was to know about the bagel and its journey. But then I read Maria Balinska’s lively and well-researched book, The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread . Her book has filled in many of the questions I had about the bagel and raised new ones, too. The basic roll-with-a-hole concept is centuries old [with] a practical advantage to this design—it’s possible to thread such a roll on a stick or a string, facilitating transport.

Balinska identifies several possible candidates for the ur-bagel from around the world, including the taralli—hard, round crackers flavored with fennel that have been the local snack for centuries in Puglia, Italy … the Roman buccellatum and the Chinese girde … I came across Egyptian hieroglyphics at the Louvre in Paris, and among the depictions of daily life were rolls with a hole. The evidence suggests that the first rolls with a hole, those of ancient Egypt and of the greater Mediterranean, came in two types: the soft, sesame-studded variety, called bagele in Israel today, eaten plain or dipped in za’atar (a spice combination of wild oregano, sesame seeds, and salt); and a pretzellike crispy Syrian ka’ak flavored much like taralli. Neither is boiled, a distinguishing characteristic of American bagels. “… the Krakow bagel was a product of the 1683 Battle of Vienna.

… it is a piece of gastronomic lore … as the story goes, 17th-century Poland was the breadbasket of Europe, and King Jan Sobieski was the first king not to confirm the decree of 1496 limiting the production of white bread andobwarzanek (bagellike rolls whose name derives from a word meaning “to parboil”) to the Krakow bakers guild. This meant that Jews could finally bake bread within the confines of the city walls. Furthermore, when Sobieski saved Austria from the Turkish invaders, a baker made a roll in the shape of the king’s stirrup and called it a beugel (the Austrian word for stirrup). As Balinska says, “Whatever its origin, the story of the bagel being created in honor of Jan Sobieski and his victory in Vienna has endured.” “… The bagel also had the advantage of lasting longer than freshly baked bread because the boiling gave the roll an outer sheen and a crunchy, protective crust. … if it got slightly stale, it was dunked in hot liquid to soften it.

Once bagels became popular in Krakow, the Jewish bakers began making them in their own bakeries due to the strictness of Jewish dietary laws.” It is unclear when the first bagels made their way to the United States, but 70 bakeries existed on the Lower East side by 1900. In 1907 the International Beigel Bakers’ Union was created and from then on monopolized bagel production in New York City. What is also certain is that immigrants from Eastern Europe, with their cravings for the foods of the old country, sparked the New York bagel craze. Balinska explains that the Jews of the Lower East Side created a demand for the breads of their homeland—rye, challah, and bagels. The ’50s were a turning point … Jews were rapidly assimilating, moving to other parts of the city, expanding their culinary horizons, and sharing their own culinary traditions with the rest of New York. In the early 1950s, Family Circle included a recipe for bageles (their spelling). The copy read: “Stumped for the Hors d’oeuvres Ideas? Here’s a grand one from Fannie Engle.

‘Split these tender little triumphs in halves and then quarters. Spread with sweet butter and place a small slice of smoked salmon on each. … Engle, who later wrote The Jewish Festival Cookbook, did not mention the Jewish Sunday morning ritual of lox, bagel, and cream cheese—an American concoction that was just taking off, spurred on most probably by Joseph Kraft’s advertising blitz for Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It soon became an American alternative to the other Sunday trilogy of bacon, eggs, and toast. In 1951, the bagel made a big appearance in the Broadway comedy Bagel and Yox, introducing the word bagel into such mainstream magazines as Time. Balinska says that “one of the attractions of Bagel and Yox was the fact that freshly baked bagels and cream cheese were handed out to the audience during intermission.” Lox according to Acme Smoked Fish Corporation : “Lox and smoked salmon became Jewish through an accident of migration. When European immigrants came to New York, they brought traditions of smoking and salting fish. But the stuff did not take off until the arrival of Eastern European Jews in the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the United States, the opening of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 connected the waters of the Pacific Northwest, which were teeming with wild salmon, with New York fishmongers. Barrels filled with hundreds of pounds of salmon interleaved with salt were transported east. The salt drew water from the flesh of the fish, creating a briny bath that preserved the salmon for up to a year without refrigeration. At the same time, the market for lox was exploding. Eastern European immigrants would have appreciated lox both for its price — 9 cents for a quarter-pound in the 1920’s and 30’s — and for its convenience. It was easy to handle — and pareve, making it acceptable with milk or meat. It fast became a staple.” This phenomenon could be seen elsewhere in the Jewish diaspora: H. Forman & Son, the last of London’s traditional East End smokers, was founded in 1905 by a Jewish immigrant from Russia. And as the fish’s popularity grew, techniques for preparing it evolved rapidly.

“When they discovered there was fabulous wild salmon coming down to Billingsgate market every summer,” said Lance Forman, the fourth-generation proprietor, “they thought: `Well, no point in shipping them over. Let’s try smoking these instead.’ ” Thus was born the mild “London cure,” achieved by curing fillets with dry salt for 24 hours and cold-smoking them over oakwood for 24 more. This process is still followed at Forman’s, whose smoked wild Scottish salmon is sold at Fairway, Zabar’s and Dean & DeLuca. Still interested? Read about bagels according to JewishRecipes.org , and here’s what Wikipedia has to say about: The Bagel and Lox . Harriett@snoety.com PS: I have to tell you this bagel question came out of a conversation with my acupuncturist Bruce Mandelbaum , and my treatment ended with him Googling some of the links you’ll find in this post. Ancient Egyptian bagels When my family first moved to Larchmont, N.Y., in 1946, my father had a feeling that the neighbors living behind us were Jewish.

In those days, you didn't broadcast your religion, so he devised a plan that would reveal their cultural background. We would go to the Bronx and bring back some bagels. If our neighbors knew what the rolls were, they were Jewish. If they stared at them in bewilderment, we would know they were not. To my father's delight, as soon as our neighbors saw the bagels, they recognized them. Nowadays, dad's devious plan to determine a neighbor's religion wouldn't work. After all, who doesn't know what a bagel is? But what are the origins of this once-mysterious bread, and what happened between 1946 and today that turned the bagel into a trans-cultural and all-American breakfast bun? After years of research on Jewish food in America, I thought I had discovered all there was to know about the bagel and its journey. But then I read Maria Balinska's lively and well-researched book, The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread . Her book has filled in many of the questions I had about the bagel and raised new ones, too. Advertisement The basic roll-with-a-hole concept is centuries old.

No surprise, really, as there's a practical advantage to this design—it's possible to thread such a roll on a stick or a string, facilitating transport. Balinska identifies several possible candidates for the ur-bagel from around the world, including the taralli—hard, round crackers flavored with fennel that have been the local snack for centuries in Puglia, Italy. She also mentions the Roman buccellatum and the Chinese girde but neglects to note that even the ancient Egyptians had a bagellike treat. Just a few weeks ago, I came across Egyptian hieroglyphics at the Louvre in Paris, and among the depictions of daily life were rolls with a hole. The evidence suggests that the first rolls with a hole, those of ancient Egypt and of the greater Mediterranean, came in two types: the soft, sesame-studded variety, called bagele in Israel today, eaten plain or dipped in za'atar (a spice combination of wild oregano, sesame seeds, and salt); and a pretzellike crispy Syrian ka'ak flavored much like taralli. Neither is boiled, a distinguishing characteristic of American bagels.

Polish-born and half-Jewish, Balinska, who works at the BBC in London, tells us that the boiled and baked bagel as we know it comes from her homeland. She tells the story of the Krakow bagel, which was a product of the 1683 Battle of Vienna. Although the story is completely speculative and perhaps even fictitious, it is a piece of gastronomic lore that has endured throughout the ages. As the story goes, 17th-century Poland was the breadbasket of Europe, and King Jan Sobieski was the first king not to confirm the decree of 1496 limiting the production of white bread and obwarzanek (bagellike rolls whose name derives from a word meaning "to parboil") to the Krakow bakers guild. This meant that Jews could finally bake bread within the confines of the city walls. Furthermore, when Sobieski saved Austria from the Turkish invaders, a baker made a roll in the shape of the king's stirrup and called it a beugel (the Austrian word for stirrup).

As Balinska says, "Whatever its origin, the story of the bagel being created in honor of Jan Sobieski and his victory in Vienna has endured." But the bagel has endured through the centuries not only because of its heroic legend. It also had the advantage of lasting longer than freshly baked bread because the boiling gave the roll an outer sheen and a crunchy, protective crust. As Balinska points out, if it got slightly stale, it was dunked in hot liquid to soften it. Once bagels became popular in Krakow, the Jewish bakers began making them in their own bakeries due to the strictness of Jewish dietary laws. Advertisement It is unclear when the first bagels made their way to the United States, but 70 bakeries existed on the Lower East side by 1900. In 1907 the International Beigel Bakers' Union was created and from then on monopolized bagel production in New York City. What is also certain is that immigrants from Eastern Europe, with their cravings for the foods of the old country, sparked the New York bagel craze.

Balinska explains that the Jews of the Lower East Side created a demand for the breads of their homeland—rye, challah, and bagels. The '50s were a turning point. It was after World War II, and Americans were trying to get back to normalcy and reconcile the atrocities of the war. They were, for the first time, somewhat philo-Semitic. In addition, Jews were rapidly assimilating, moving to other parts of the city, expanding their culinary horizons, and sharing their own culinary traditions with the rest of New York. In the early 1950s, Family Circle included a recipe for bageles (their spelling). The copy read: "Stumped for the Hors d'oeuvres Ideas? Here's a grand one from Fannie Engle. 'Split these tender little triumphs in halves and then quarters. Spread with sweet butter and place a small slice of smoked salmon on each. For variations, spread with cream cheese, anchovies or red caviar.

(They're also delicious served as breakfast rolls.)' " Engle, who later wrote TheJewish Festival Cookbook, did not mention the Jewish Sunday morning ritual of lox, bagel, and cream cheese—an American concoction that was just taking off, spurred on most probably by Joseph Kraft's advertising blitz for Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It soon became an American alternative to the other Sunday trilogy of bacon, eggs, and toast. In 1951, the bagel made a big appearance in the Broadway comedy Bagel and Yox,introducing the word bagel into such mainstream magazines as Time.Balinska says that "one of the attractions of Bagel and Yox was the fact that freshly baked bagels and cream cheese were handed out to the audience during intermission." At this historical moment, Murray Lender hit upon a method for mass distribution of bagels. His father, Harry, had come from Poland to New Haven, Conn., and had opened a wholesale bagel bakery in 1927, one of the few outside of New York. In this small, diverse town, ethnic communities intermingled, sampling one another's local specialties.

After a while, Balinska explains, it became clear to the Lenders that the Jewish bagel was just as appetizing to the Irish and the Italians as it was to the Jews. The turning point came when Murray, having returned from the Korean War in 1956, bought a freezer. He and his father soon realized that they could deliver thawed bagels to retailers without marring their flavor. A subsequent innovation was the packaging of bagels in batches of six in polyethylene bags, making them even more durable. Soon, Lender's Bagels shared shelf space in supermarkets with household names like Pepperidge Farm and Wonder Bread. Over the next decade, supermarket sales did nothing but grow. And with the advent of the frozen-food aisle, frozen bagels became an affordable, convenient food that could be shipped to grocery stores in far-flung parts of the country that had never before seen one. Bagelmania hit the ground running in this country with chains opening up all over the place, replacing, to a certain extent, the doughnut shops of the earlier part of the 20th century.

(Today, America's most popular doughnut shop, Dunkin' Donuts, also sells bagels.) It is my suspicion that bagels became so popular because, unlike Mexican burritos or Chinese egg rolls, they don't taste ethnic. They weren't marketed as Jewish and weren't sold in kosher sections of grocery stores. To the bread- and sandwich-loving American population, the bagel was simply another bun with a bite—different enough to satisfy a craving for innovation, but not different enough to appear exotic. So, it makes sense that today's bagel bakeries are not necessarily Jewish-owned or run. A Puerto Rican family owns H&H Bagels in New York. John Marx, a Cincinnatian of German background, bakes 36 different bagel varieties, including Cincinnati Red bagels, tropical fruit, and taco bagels. And the best bagel bakery in New York, according to many, is one owned by a Thai couple on the Upper West Side. Bagels are clearly no longer specifically a Jewish food. At some point in the middle of the 20th century, their position from the Jewish bun to the American breakfast bread shifted. The exact moment is unclear, but one moment stands out in my mind.

In 1998, when I was first filming my PBS television series, Jewish Cooking in America , Lender's, which by then had been bought and sold numerous times, was one of our sponsors. For this cooking show featuring kosher food, they sent us an underwriting spot depicting a perfectly toasted bagel with Swiss cheese and ham! Oy! I almost plotzed. To me, that moment was the ultimate assimilation of the bagel into American life. A Brief History of Bagels A Brief History of Bagels More than you could possibly want to know about bagels. Ah, the glorious bagel! Who among us does not love it, crave it, fantasize about it? Sorry, that was creepy, wasn’t it? I guess I won’t tell you how I feel about brisket. Bagel History As did you, dear readers, I always believed the common legend about the bagel having been created in the shape of a stirrup to commemorate the victory of Poland’s King Jan Sobieski over the Ottoman Turks in 1683. So I realize that what I am about to reveal may be traumatic for you – but that legend is completely false. I know, I know.

Just take a few deep breaths and you’ll be fine. The bagel was invented in Krakow, Poland, in the 16th Century as a competitor to the Bublik. The bagel was actually invented much earlier in Krakow, Poland, as a competitor to the Bublik, a lean bread of wheat flour designed for Lent. In the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries, the bajgiel, as it was known, became a staple of the Polish national diet, replacing the previous staple – actual staples. There was a tradition among many observant Jewish families to make bagels on Saturday evenings at the conclusion of the Sabbath. Due to Jewish Sabbath restrictions, they were not permitted to cook during the period of the Sabbath and, compared with other types of bread, bagels could be baked very quickly as soon as it ended. Variations of the word beugal are used in Yiddish and Austrian German to refer to a round loaf of bread.

According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, 'bagel' derives from the transliteration of the Yiddish 'beygl', which came from the Middle High German 'böugel' or ring, which itself came from 'bouc' (ring) in Old High German, similar to the Old English 'bēag' '(ring), and 'būgan' (to bend or bow). But enough about how I impress my dates with bagel trivia. In the Brick Lane district and surrounding area of London, England, bagels, or as locally spelled "beigels" have been sold since the middle of the 19th century. Of course, by now they may be somewhat stale, so caution is advised. Bagels were brought to the United States by immigrant Jews, with a thriving business developing in New York City that was controlled for decades by Bagel Bakers Local 338, under the leadership of Moishe Soprano. It had contracts with nearly all bagel bakeries in and around the city for its workers who prepared all the bagels by hand, following complaints that some of them were being prepared by foot.

The bagel came into more general use throughout North America in the last quarter of the 20th century, at least partly due to the efforts of bagel baker Harry Lender and Florence Sender, who pioneered automated production and distribution of frozen bagels in the 1960s. They tried adding a third partner, but failed to find anyone qualified whose last name rhymed with “tender.” In modern times Canadian-born astronaut Gregory Chamitoff is the first person known to have taken a batch of bagels into space on his 2008 Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station. His shipment consisted of 18 sesame seed bagels. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten to pack the lox and cream cheese, so had to go all the way back to get them. Bagel Varieties The two most prominent styles of traditional bagel in North America are the Montreal-style bagel and the New York-style bagel. The Montreal bagel contains malt and sugar with no salt; it is boiled in honey-sweetened water before baking in a wood-fired oven; and it is predominantly either of the poppy "black" or sesame "white" seeds variety.

It is ordered with the expression, “Give me a bagel, eh?” The New York bagel contains salt and malt and is boiled in water prior to baking in a standard oven. The resulting New York bagel is puffy with a moist crust, while the Montreal bagel is smaller (though with a larger hole), crunchier, and sweeter. The New York bagel is generally ordered in response to the bagel-seller’s question, “Hey, are you gonna order something or just stare at the menu all day?!” The traditional London bagel (or beigel as it is spelled) is harder and has a coarser texture with air bubbles, bad teeth and is a bit more uptight. In addition to the plain bagel, popular varieties include sesame, garlic, poppy seed, onion, rye, salt. The "everything" bagel is a mixture of all of the above and is perfect for those who just can’t decide. Other versions which change the dough recipe include cinnamon, raisin, blueberry, pumpernickel, egg and sourdough. Green bagels are sometimes created for St. Patrick's Day.

Many chains now offer bagels in flavors such as chocolate chip, French toast, asiago cheese, olive and bacon. And, yes, due to some of these, our Jewish ancestors are spinning in their graves. Breakfast bagels, a softer, sweeter variety usually sold in fruity or sweet flavors (e.g. cherry, strawberry, cheese, blueberry, cinnamon-raisin, chocolate chip) are commonly sold by large supermarket chains; these are usually sold pre-sliced and are intended to be prepared in a toaster. But let’s be honest, no Jew worth his bagels would be caught dead eating one of those. A flat bagel, known as a Flagel, can be found in a few locations in and around New York City – this is in response to the frequent complaint, “Hey, my bagel’s not flat enough!” And a sweet variant of the bagel known as the "fragel" is found in Michigan; bagel dough is fried and coated with cinnamon sugar. Don’t look for it in the health food section. Bagel sandwiches Today bagel sandwiches are quite common—a sliced bagel substitutes for the two slices of bread.

Traditionally, bagel sandwiches filled with cream cheese, lox, tomato, and onion have been a popular meal among Jews for some time; less popular among the Amish. As a breakfast sandwich, plain or onion-flavored bagels are filled with eggs, cheese, ham (oy vey!), and other fillings. McDonald's created a line of bagel sandwiches for its breakfast menu, but has since scaled back the varieties available; key ingredients are some form of egg, cheese, and meat combination sandwiched between the bagel slices, thus creating a “McBagel” that is no doubt as far from kosher as building graffiti is from fine literature. Sliced bagels are often toasted. Spreads (traditionally known among Jews as shmears) might include cream cheese (which may be flavored), butter (which may also be flavored with ingredients such as maple syrup or honey), peanut butter, jam, apple butter, hummus, or other foods. Another interesting and popular bagel dish is the pizza bagel. The bagel is sliced, topped with tomato sauce and cheese and then toasted or re-baked.

This is in response to the question, “How can we take something simple and tasty and really overdo it, thereby messing up another culture’s popular dish at the same time?” Keeping bagels fresh Bagels taste best fresh out of the oven. In order to preserve the freshness and taste of the bagel for consumption within the next five to seven days, allow them to cool in a paper bag and then store them in a freezer in a closed paper bag which is wrapped tightly inside a larger, plastic bag. Annoying mothers-in-law can be stored in a similar fashion. Some people omit the paper bag and just freeze their bagels in a plastic bag. But these people always look for shortcuts and can we truly respect them for taking the easy way out? To thaw, moisten lightly with cool water and toast or bake. Bagels freeze well for up to six months. After that, they turn radioactive and need to be buried 50 feet underground for all eternity. To revive a refrigerated bagel to near fresh-baked status, slice the bagel in half and lightly moisten, or 'banetz' (Yiddish term for 'moisten') the surfaces with a small amount of cold water.

Give it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for three minutes, pumping its middle every fifteen seconds. Toast or bake the bagel until it is hot throughout and slightly crispy on the surfaces. Taste, and moan softly due to its many pleasures. Note: Reheating in a microwave oven will not produce the same result as a regular oven or toaster as microwaves tend to make bread soft and mushy, like the minds of those who only watch World Wrestling Federation shows on TV. Now, if you’re ever a contestant on Jeopardy and “bagel” comes up as one of the topics, you should do pretty well. You’re welcome. Related Articles: More by this Author > Mark Miller is a comedy writer who has performed stand-up comedy in nightclubs and on TV, written on numerous sit-com staffs, been a humor columnist for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and is a current Unique Jobs interviewer and humor blogger for The Huffington Post . His first book, a collection of his humor essays on dating and romance, is 500 Dates: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the Online Dating Wars . But he says he’d trade all his success away in a minute for immortality, inner peace and limitless wealth.

Follow his website/blog at: . And he can be reached at: mark.writer@gmail.com Where did Bagels Originate From Where did Bagels Originate From 01 Jan, 2012 where did 0 Bagels are a popular pastry product made in a similar shape to a donut. They are usually made from a wheat dough, which is boiled in water and then baked. However, bagels can also be made with different types of dough, such as rye and whole grain. Bagels have a chewy interior and a crisp exterior and are commonly finished with poppy or sesame seeds. They are available in both fresh and frozen form and in many countries are sold ready to eat from mobile food carts. If you have ever wondered where this popular baked food comes from, keep reading to find out? Where do bagels come from? The popular belief is that bagels originated in 1683 in the shape of a stirrup as a commemoration for the Polish King’s victory in the Battle of Vienna. However, they were actually invented much earlier than this. It is believed to have been created sometime before 1610, but this is the first time that it was recorded in written history.

The bagel originated from Kraków, Poland, and was invented to compete with a similar baked product called a bublik. The bublik and the bagel are quite similar, but the bublik has a larger hole in the middle and is far chewier. Did you know? Bagels were introduced into the United States by Polish-Jew immigrants and quickly became one of the most popular baked products. The first written account that mentions bagels suggests that they were a popular gift for women after childbirth! Related Articles The Bagel A Short History of the Bagel According to legend, the world's first bagel was produced in 1783 as a tribute to Jan Sobieski, King of Poland. The king, a renowned horseman, had just saved the people of Austria from an onslaught by Turkish invaders. In gratitude, a local baker shaped yeast dough into the shape of stirrup to honor him and called it the Austrian word for stirrup, beugel. The roll soon became a hit throughout Eastern Europe. Over time, its shape evolved into a circle with a hole in the center and its named was converted to its modern form, bagel.

1683 -- According to legend the first bagels rolled into the world in 1683 when a Viennese baker wanted to pay tribute to Jan Sobieski, the King of Poland. King Jan had just saved the people of Austria from an onslaught of Turkish invaders. The King was a great horseman, and the baker decided to shape the yeast dough into an uneven circle resembling a stirrup (or 'beugal'). (Other German variations of the word are: 'beigel', meaning 'ring', and 'bugel', meaning bracelet.) 1872 -- Cream cheese is invented. In 1880, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was started, and in 1920, Breakstone Cream Cheese 1880's -- Thousands of Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States. They brought with them a desire for bagels. Soon bagels became closely associated with New York and Chicago, both cities with large Jewish populations. 1907 -- A union just for bagel bakers is formed, the International Bakers Union, joining together 300 bakers. Only sons of union members could be apprenticed to learn the secrets of bagel baking in order to safeguard the culinary art.

1935 -- The first Bagel Boss opened, bringing high quality New York bagels to Long Island. 1960s -- Bagel production skyrocketed as machines capable of producing 200 to 400 bagels per hour were popularized. 1987 -- Bagels made their way into mainstream America, sold around the country in grocery stores and listed as standard items on fast food menus. 1988 -- Americans were eating an average of one bagel per month. 1993 -- America's consumption of bagels doubled to an average of one bagel every two weeks The history of the bagel, the familiar breakfast food that only looks like a doughnut A common breakfast among commuters, bagels stand alone as the only bread that is boiled before it is baked, providing chewiness instead of brittle crumbs. Yeast dough is shaped into rings, allowed to rise, then briefly tossed into vigorously boiling water for a few seconds. Then it is baked, where the prior boiling creates a chewy texture. Those that like a bit of gloss on the crust can brush them with sugar water, the traditional method, or egg, a more modern method abhorred by purists.

The origin of the bagel is up for debate, although it seems to have early taken a foothold in Poland. The first printed mention occurs in Krakow, in 1610 in a list of community regulations that stipulate that bagels are to be given to pregnant women. (Interestingly, given the bagel's association as a 'Jewish' food, there is no mention of religion in this regulation-apparently Christian women ate bagels as well). Others support the theory that an Austrian baker created a stirrup (or 'beugal') made out of dough to give to the King of Poland in 1683, in thanks for his help in defeating the Turks, and in honor of his great horsemanship. (Other German variations of the word are: 'beigel', meaning 'ring', and 'bugel', meaning bracelet.) Despite being popular in Europe among the Jewish residents, it is in America that the bagel becomes widely popular, especially in Chicago and New York. The next bagel breakthrough came in 1872, with the making of cream cheese. In 1880, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was started, and in 1920, Breakstone Cream Cheese.

In 1907, a union just for bagel bakers is formed, the International Bakers Union, joining together 300 bakers. Despite New York City's claims for having the best bagels, residents of Montreal would disagree, citing their wood-fired ovens and honey flavored boiling water makes for a superior product. Polish émigré Harry Lender opens up Lender's Beigel Bakery in 1927 in West Haven, Connecticut. His primary customers are Jewish delicatessens in New York. His sons, Murray and Marvin take over the business as adults, and specialize in the flash-frozen bagel, allowing Americans nationwide to enjoy this previously ethnic and urban food. In 1984, having grown to 600 employees, they will be bought out by Kraft. H. Lender and Sons restaurants in Connecticut now receive the benefit of the true Lender's bagel. As the bread has spread across the nation, so have variations.

Where once they were served plain, or in such traditions flavors as pumpernickel, onion, or sesame seed, they are now available as apple, blueberry, spinach, the very non-kosher ham and cheese, or the incomprehensible 'everything'. Why have they become so popular? Ease of eating, a greater degree of portability than toast, and a more satisfying chew than ordinary sandwich bread. Plain, they offer a non-sweet alternative to doughnuts (man, was I disappointed in my first bagel-what a terrible doughnut!) Their heartiness makes them more filling than a croissant, and without any type of topping (i.e. cream cheese, butter, or jelly), they are a reasonable 200 calories. A North American Debut When the Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived in North America at the turn of the century, they brought the bagel with them. Many settled in Canada, giving cities like Toronto and Montreal their reputation for having superb bagels. The American bagel industry established formal roots in New York between 1910 and 1915 with the formation of Bagel Bakers Local #338.

This exclusive group of 300 craftsmen with "bagels in their blood" limited its members to sons of its members. At the time, it was probably easier to get into medical school than to get an apprenticeship in one of the 36 union bagel shops in New York City and New Jersey. Professional bagel baking required know-how and backbreaking labor. Bagel makers' sons apprenticed for months to learn the trade. Men were paid by the piece and usually worked in teams of four. Two made the bagels, one baked, and a "kettleman" was in charge of boiling the bagels. The men earned 19 cents a box, and each box typically contained 64 bagels. It was not unusual for a team to make a hundred boxes a night. With the rising of the yeast in countless bakeries, the popularity of the bagel rose far beyond the boundaries of ethnic neighborhoods. In the late 1950's and 1960's, bakers from New York and New Jersey began moving to other parts of the country.

One such veteran who opened a bagel bakery in a suburb of Washington, D.C., in 1966, remembers his skeptical landlord nervously questioning, "Who's gonna spend seven cents for one of those things?" Prepackaged bagels first became available in grocery stores in the 1950's. With the introduction of frozen bagels in the 1960's, consumers had access to bagels even if they didn't live near a bagel bakery. Bagel-making machines, a boon to commercial bakers, were also introduced in the early 1960's. The machines form bagels by extruding the dough through the ring shape. Inventor Dan Thompson says, "I was born to invent a bagel machine. My father was thinking about a bagel-making machine when I was conceived." That may not be far from the truth, because Dan's father had a wholesale bakery in Winnipeg, Canada, and was already working on a bagel-making machine back in 1926. But it was far too complicated, too slow, and too costly to manufacture and wasn't commercially feasible. There were as many as fifty unsuccessful attempts to produce a bagel-making machine in the early twentieth century.

The Thompson Bagel Machine Corporation developed the first viable model, despite "doubting Thompsons" who insisted that no machine would ever replace the human hand in forming bagels. Most of the early machines were leased by bakers who paid by the dozen on the time meter. Now most are purchased. Popular with "Mom and Pop" bagel bakeries is the single-bank Thompson model with a dough divider that forms 175 dozen (2,100) bagels an hour. Large-scale production companies use multiples of the double-bank machine, each of which produces 400 dozen (4,800) bagels hourly. ï¿½ The Father of the Bagel was probably an unknown Viennese baker, who wanted to pay tribute to the King of Poland. In 1683, King Jan had just saved the people of Austria from an onslaught of Turkish invaders. As the King was an avid and accomplished horseman, the baker decided to shape the yeast dough into an uneven circle resembling a stirrup. Purists tend to favour this theory for two reasons. First, the traditional hand-rolled bagel remains less than perfect in shape.

Instead of the symmetry of a doughnut, good bagels skew into a "stirrup-like" shape. Second, the Austrian word for "stirrup" is beugel. The Canadian history of the bagel is much clearer. When Vincenzo Piazza brought the "Montreal-style" bagel to Ottawa in 1984, he was the first to have a wood-burning oven and hand-rolled bagels. It takes a roller over three months of training to reach the necessary speed of rolling 40 bagels every three minutes. Over the years, the "traditional" bagel flavours, sesame seed, poppy seed, and plain, have been joined by almost a dozen other varieties, from cinnamon and raisin to Muesli. But the essence of the bagel remains the same, and fresh, hot bagels have become a daily staple for thousands of people in the Ottawa region. What is a bagel? Well, it's essentially a bread roll with a hole in it. However, it's the texture that makes it distinct. The outside is usually brown and slightly crispy. Once you bite inside, it's usually dense, chewy and doughy.

These bready bites come in a variety of flavours and are often topped with seeds baked onto the outer crust. Legend has it that the bagel originated in Vienna , Austria . The story goes that in 1683 a (probably) Jewish baker wanted to thank the king of Poland for protecting his countrymen from Turkish invaders and celebrate victory in the Battle of Vienna. In order to do this he made a special bread roll in the shape of a riding stirrup, known as a 'Steigbügel' in German. However, another theory is that the bagel originated in Krakow Poland sometime earlier. There are historical references to women being given 'beygls' as a gift during childbirth. Bagels are still used by mothers as teething rings today. The bagels popularity in Eastern Europe spread and eventually these bread rolls made their way to Russia where they were sold on strings and viewed as a symbol of good luck. At the turn of the 20th century,Eastern Europe immigrants began pouring into North America and with them brought their recipes for bagels.

Many settled in Canada and in 1919 Isabel Shlafman opened the first bagel bakery in Montreal in a lane just of the street which was at that time known as 'The Main'. Today this street is Saint-Lawrence Boulevard. The bagels were rolled by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven, as they still are today in the bakery's present location on which lent the bakery its name. The Original Fairmount Bakery officially opened for business in this spot in 1949 in what was a converted cottage housing the family above the shop. The family still runs the business today. The bakery is open 24 hours and seven days a week. There are often queues out the door as customers line up to purchase the fresh bagel in flavours as diverse as sun-dried tomato and chocolate chip. Also on sale is a selection of accompaniments such as smoked salmon, tzaziki and cream cheese. Bagelicious! Bagels for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in Montreal, Canada The History of Bagels 1880s -- Hundreds of thousands of Eastern European Jews emigrated to America, bringing with them a love for bagels.

New York City vendors used the bagel's hole-in-the-middle shape to their merchandising advantage by threading them onto dowels and selling them on street corners throughout the city. 1907 -- The International Bagel Bakers Union was founded in New York City. Only sons of union members could be apprenticed to learn the secrets of bagel baking in order to safeguard the culinary art. 1927 -- Polish baker Harry Lender opened the first bagel plant outside New York City in New Haven, Conn. The bagel's popularity began to spread in the United States. 1960s -- Bagel production skyrocketed as machines capable of producing 200 to 400 bagels per hour were popularized and the tradition of hand-forming bagels virtually vanished. 1987 -- Bagels made their way into mainstream America, sold around the country in grocery stores and listed as standard items on fast food menus. 1988 -- Americans were eating an average of one bagel per month. 1993 -- American bagel consumption doubled to an average of one bagel every two weeks.

1997 -- Schnucks' Nancy Anne Bakery introduced 17 bagels reformulated to match the special tastes and texture desires of Midwesterners, along with six cream cheese spreads, four types of bagel melts and eight bagel sandwiches. Q: Why do Bagels have a hole in the middle? A:The hole in the center of the bagel ensures that it bakes and boils evenly. Because its dough is fairly dense, the hole in the center allows for water and heat to circulate around the most surface area. Other Interesting Bagel Facts The history of Bagels, From Einstien Bros. Bagel Shop in New York. Bagels should be found in the dictionary under fun, but according to Webster (who probably liked his with a shmear) a bagel is "a hard bread roll made of yeast dough twisted into a small doughnutlike shape, cooked in simmering water, then baked." The bagel is the only bread product that is boiled before it is baked. That's what gives the bagel its unique texture and the crust its characteristic shine.

Legend has it that in 1683 in Vienna, Austria, a local Jewish baker wanted to thank the king of Poland for protecting his countrymen from Turkish invaders. He made a special hard roll in the shape of a riding stirrup-Bugel in German - commemorating the king's favorite pastime and giving the bagel its distinct shape. As bagels gained popularity in Poland, they were officially sanctioned as gifts for women in childbirth and mentioned in community registers. Mothers used them as nutritious teething rings that their infants could easily grasp - a practice still popular today. Bagels eventually made their way to Russia, where they were called bubliki and were sold on strings. Like other ring-shaped objects, they were said to bring good luck and possess magical powers. It is even said that songs were sung about bagels! A North American Debut When the Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived in North America at the turn of the century, they brought the bagel with them. Many settled in Canada, giving cities like Toronto and Montreal their reputation for having superb bagels. The American bagel industry established formal roots in New York between 1910 and 1915 with the formation of Bagel Bakers Local #338.

This exclusive group of 300 craftsmen with "bagels in their blood" limited its members to sons of its members. At the time, it was probably easier to get into medical school than to get an apprenticeship in one of the 36 union bagel shops in New York City and New Jersey. Professional bagel baking required know-how and backbreaking labor. Bagel makers' sons apprenticed for months to learn the trade. Men were paid by the piece and usually worked in teams of four. Two made the bagels, one baked, and a "kettleman" was in charge of boiling the bagels. The men earned 19 cents a box, and each box typically contained 64 bagels. It was not unusual for a team to make a hundred boxes a night. With the rising of the yeast in countless bakeries, the popularity of the bagel rose far beyond the boundaries of ethnic neighborhoods. In the late 1950's and 1960's, bakers from New York and New Jersey began moving to other parts of the country.

One such veteran who opened a bagel bakery in a suburb of Washington, D.C., in 1966, remembers his skeptical landlord nervously questioning, "Who's gonna spend seven cents for one of those things?" Prepackaged bagels first became available in grocery stores in the 1950's. With the introduction of frozen bagels in the 1960's, consumers had access to bagels even if they didn't live near a bagel bakery. Bagel-making machines, a boon to commercial bakers, were also introduced in the early 1960's. The machines form bagels by extruding the dough through the ring shape. Inventor Dan Thompson says, "I was born to invent a bagel machine. My father was thinking about a bagel-making machine when I was conceived." That may not be far from the truth, because Dan's father had a wholesale bakery in Winnipeg, Canada, and was already working on a bagel-making machine back in 1926. But it was far too complicated, too slow, and too costly to manufacture and wasn't commercially feasible. There were as many as fifty unsuccessful attempts to produce a bagel-making machine in the early twentieth century.

The Thompson Bagel Machine Corporation developed the first viable model, despite "doubting Thompsons" who insisted that no machine would ever replace the human hand in forming bagels. Most of the early machines were leased by bakers who paid by the dozen on the time meter. Now most are purchased. Popular with "Mom and Pop" bagel bakeries is the single-bank Thompson model with a dough divider that forms 175 dozen (2,100) bagels an hour. Large-scale production companies use multiples of the double-bank machine, each of which produces 400 dozen (4,800) bagels hourly.

Question: What country do bagels come from originally?
Answer: Poland