The long standing myth is the bagel was created by a local baker to celebrate the victory of Poland’s King Jan III Sobiesky over the Ottoman Turks in 1683, and was given the trade name of buegel.
The bagels are boiled in water before they are baked. It will them characteristics firm, chewy interior. Industrial bagels may not be boiled and may have a soft crumb.
The hole made the bagel easy to transport, slipping it on a rod or a rope – the way that it was thought to be originally carried. Although plain bagels are popular, many bagel bakeries make plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, garlic, onion, cinnamon raisin, egg, salt, everything bagels and so on.
The traditional way to enjoy a bagel is with lox or smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Bagels came to America in the late 19th century along with Eastern European immigrants. The bagel was modified in America to its present form, which is generally thicker than its European antecedents.
Wheat product: bagel
