National Bagelfest Day on July 26th recognizes the kosher carbohydrate. Toast one and add a schmear or two. If you don’t, you’re not really celebrating.
- Polish-Jewish immigrants introduced the bagel to the United States. Throughout New York City and the surrounding boroughs, they grew thriving businesses.
- In 1907, they created the International Beigel Bakers’ Union. For decades, Bagel Bakers Local 338 held contracts with nearly all bagel bakeries in and around the city for its workers.
- Until the 1960s, bakeries made bagels by hand. Then Daniel Thompson invented the bagel maker and along came a heated debate of man versus the machine.
- The bagel became more common throughout North America during the last quarter of the 20th century. Credit for the bagels’ spread across the country goes in part to the efforts of bagel baker Harry Lender, his son, Murray Lender, and Florence Sender. Their pioneering efforts led to automated production and distribution of frozen bagels in the 1960s. Murray also invented pre-slicing the bagel.
- Bagel history dates back to 1783, according to popular belief. They were created to honor King John III Sobieski of Poland, after he protected Austria’s people from an attack by Turkish invaders. Rumor has it a local Austrian baker created the bagel in the shape of a stirrup to honor the renowned horseman, and named it a “beugel” (the Austrian word for stirrup).
- Bagels are the only bread that are boiled before being baked.
- The bagel hole comes in handy to thread multiple bagels onto a dowel, making transport easily, especially for street vendors selling the doughy delights.
- Believe it or not, despite the myriad bagel flavors available from blueberry to the “everything” bagel, the most popular choice is plain, followed closely by sesame.
- Prepackaged bagels first became available in grocery stores in the 1950’s. Frozen bagels were introduced in 1960.
- North Carolina molecular scientist Robert Bohannon developed Buzz Donuts and Buzzed Bagels- caffeinated donuts and bagels in 2007. They contain the caffeine equivalent of 2 cups of coffee.
- Bruegger’s owns the title of World’s Largest Bagel; They baked an 868-pound bagel August 27, 2004 at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, N.Y. The previous record was set in 1998 at 714 pounds.
- It would take approximately 2,231 bagels to go around Grand Central Station Main Concourse’s inner perimeter once.
- The most popular bagel toppings are cream cheese, butter, and fruit spreads.
- In Poland, bagels used to be a traditional gift made to women who just gave birth.
- A bagel is a tennis term. It describes a set won with a score of 6-0.
- Zucker’s Bagels and Smoked Fish linked up with Acme Smoked Fish Corp. in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn to create a monster creation measuring 29-by-36-by-13-inch and weighing in 213 pounds, 12 ounces which sets the new world record for the Largest bagel-and-lox sandwich, according to the World Record Academy.
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