The quirky history, laws and origins behind bagels
The toaster pops up a bagel. You grab it, knowing it is very hot from the heat and toaster marks on it. Quickly you drop it to the plate/napkin saying “ow” as you do it. Your hand searches knowingly where you moments ago laid the cream cheese, or butter, whichever you prefer, while you other hand grabs a knife from the drawer. Even though you had just touched the extremely hot pieces of baked dough, you brace yourself and hold onto it as you schmear the cheese or butter across its surface. After the condiment is schmeared around you go for that first delicious bite. Your taste buds dance in delight as the creaminess of the cheese (or butteriness) envelopes your mouth and just for that one moment nothing else is present.
Bagels. Hands down, in my opinion, are one of the best carbohydrates out there. Well, a very well made bagel is. Each different brand has their own flavor to it and I am not speaking of the flavors such as everything, onion, sesame seed, etc. None of those. I am speaking of the actual taste of the dough. Fellow bagel lovers will know what I am speaking of. If you find yourself not knowing of what I am talking about and want to try a little experiment, go out and buy two different brands of plain bagels. Toast them, warm them up and try them. Chances are you will taste the difference and just like everything else, there are reasons why. They are all of slightly different recipes. The construction of how they are made can be different as well. The techniques. The slightest of changes can make a difference in the taste. If you have ever made bread or baked a cake and forgot something or didn’t put enough of an ingredient in the mix, changes occur. And you will be able to tell.
What is so special on how a bagel is made? Isn’t it just dough baked in a round shapes with a hole in the middle? Well, let me go back in history to check things out. Be right back.
Ok, that trip was a fun one. From some sources bagels were said to be first mentioned as far back as 1610 from village ordinances in Poland. I also found other iterations of bagel-like bread being made much earlier, as far back as 1394 called obwarzanek (which means “boiled” in Polish). Still originating from Poland but let’s face it, it’s bread and people have been making and baking different variations for thousands and thousands of years all over the world. On the technique, however, might be unique to just bagel making.
Did you know that after the yeasted wheat dough is set and prepared in the shape of rings, they are first boiled and then baked to a crispy outside finish? I truly never thought that they would have boiled them first. And I learned as to why the have holes in the middle, or shaped like rings. That was so then they were able to string them up to sell at markets. Think about it, bagels on a string, that could hold a lot. I wonder if they were cooled off like that after baking them. You learn something new everyday and I apparently just met my quota (nah, today has more things for me to learn). I also learned today that bagels are a staple in the Jewish community now and their history of why the bagel came into existence. It is said that in Medieval Europe, Jews were not allowed and forbade from making, baking, touching or eating bread from church officials. The church saw bread as very holy and that those of Jewish decent weren’t worthy enough. Those who lived in Poland challenged that view point and the Polish Prince Boleslaw the Pious announced in the middle 1200’s that “Jews had as much right as Christians to touch, buy, and sell bread.” That led to the adaptation of Germany’s pretzels and boiling the bread first instead of baking it straight away. It was a slight variation of bread but different enough to render it safe for the Jewish community.
The bagel grew in popularity and was included in the Christian community. It is said that Queen Jadwiga of Poland made it her goto bread for Lent. In those times in Poland, sources say that there was a new law stating that bagels should be given to new mothers as a gift as it symbolized a long, healthy life.
And that is a small compiling of information on how the bagel came to be such a popular staple in many people’s lives. Next time you enjoy a bagel, maybe you can enjoy it a little more now knowing a bit of history behind it. Enjoy and happy eating.
