Chapter 1
The European roots of the bagel
Chapter 2
The great North American rivalry
Chapter 3
The chemistry of the perfect chew
Chapter 4
Bagels around the globe
YOUR GOAL
Master of The story of the bagel
Ch 1 · The European roots of the bagel
sonia The Bagel's European Roots
Boil the dough, let the circles roll! (Oh yeah!) A lucky gift for a newborn soul! (You know it!)
sonia A medieval Polish bread called obwarzanek is the direct ancestor of the modern bagel.
Fun Fact
Medieval royalty: In 1394, Queen Jadwiga of Poland ate braided obwarzanek during Lent, the earliest royal record of the bagel's ancestor.
Glossary
bagel (noun)
A dense, ring-shaped yeast roll that is boiled before it is baked. Kraków's Jewish community regulations of 1610 contain the earliest known written mention of this circular bread.
A dense, ring-shaped yeast roll that is boiled before it is baked. Kraków's Jewish community regulations of 1610 contain the earliest known written mention of this circular bread.
Quiz
In Jewish folklore, why was the circular shape of the bagel believed to protect against evil spirits?
Quiz
At which of the following life events was it historically traditional to serve bagels in Eastern European Jewish communities?
Quiz
How did impoverished Jewish bakers in 19th-century Eastern Europe typically display and sell their bagels on the street?
Quiz
In what year was the first written mention of the word 'bagel' recorded in Kraków, Poland?
Quiz
What traditional gift was given to women after childbirth according to Kraków regulations in 1610?