Bagel Battle: New York v. Montreal
Ahh bagels. A breakfast favorite, slathered with cream cheese or butter, portable and utterly satisfying. But these simple-seeming circles of bread are full of history and science, and the difference between regional variations can illicit strong opinions from bakers and consumers alike.
Let’s first take a step back and talk about the basic steps to producing a simple bagel.
The generic method of bagel making is this: Combine flour, malt, sugar, yeast, salt and water. Mix, kneed, let rise, coil into circles, boil and bake.
At the surface level, it’s not too complicated, but bakers have been honing in on their recipes for centuries. (Yes, you read that right. Some say bagels originated in eastern Europe in the seventeenth century. I’ll give you a minute to let that sink in.)
From what I can tell, there are two warring bagel factions in North America: Those from New York and those from Montreal, Canada. And let me tell you, while differences may seem slight, they can make a huge difference. Whatever you do, don’t let a New Yorker catch you saying that Montreal bagels are better, or vice versa.
The accepted difference between these two bagel kings is this: New York bagels are generally chewy, airy and are boiled in New York’s finest city water before being baked in a conventional oven. They can be flavored with a variety of additives, such as raisins, chocolate chips, blueberries or herbs. Why you would ruin a perfectly good bagel with raisins, I don’t know, but it happens frequently.
On the other hand, Montreal bagels are denser, boiled in honey water, baked in a wood-fired oven and typically topped with sesame or poppy seeds. They are delightsome and beautiful, and convey the world-class elegance of the fantastic city from which they originate. [DISCLOSURE: At this point it must be confessed that the author has a decisive affinity for Montreal bagels. She’s not sorry.]
There are other types of bagels, hailing from places including Chicago, London, and good ol’ San Francisco. There are Yiddish bagels, too. Some are steamed, some are dry, and some are even rainbow colored. But these bagels are merely variations on a theme, and can’t compare to the popularity of the New York and Montreal types. Sorry guys, you just don’t cut it.
So the next time you’re pressed for time and decide to grab a bagel from the corner bakery, when you’re tired, groggy, and dreading another day of work, feel free to mire your thoughts in how complicated your quick bite might be. No pressure.
