All Bakers is synonymous with the tastiest bagels to be found in Europe. No wonder, because every day we bake quite many of them. Fresher than fresh and in all sorts of flavours and sizes. Everyone has eaten a bagel before, but what do we really know about this tasty bun? We listed ten essential bagel facts for you.
1. The first bagels were baked in the Jewish Ashkenazi community of Krakow, Poland. As early as 1610 the bagel is mentioned in Polish writings as a maternity gift for women.
2. In the 19th century Polish-Jewish immigrants brought the bagel with them to New York. Now the bagel is known as a New York staple.
3. In Yiddish bagel is often spelled as beygl.
4. The most likely reason why bagels have a hole in the middle is because they are cooked faster that way. An additional advantage of the hole: more crust and thus more flavor.
5. Bagels became popular in New York because the Jewish bagel bakers were open on Sundays as opposed to non-Jewish bakers.
6. Fancy a bagel with cream cheese, white truffle and gold leaf? You’ll find the most expensive bagel in the world on the menu of the Westin Hotel in New York and it will only set you back for a mere $1000 dollars.
7. In America, National Bagel Day is celebrated every year on February 9.
8. The largest bagel ever weighs 393 kilos (868 lb) and was on display at the New York State Fair in 2004.
9. Around 1900 the “bagel brunch” became popular among New Yorkers. The Bagel Brunch is a bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, tomato and red onion.
10. You’ve played a “bagel” when you win a set with a score of 6-0 in tennis.
