Joburg Jewish bagels take bite out of New York cousins

JORDAN MOSHE

Frequently eaten with a schmear of cream cheese, a piece of lox, and a generous helping of pickles, the bagel is a food over which Jews tend to be rather possessive. Although New York is said to be the place to experience the ultimate bagel, Bagel Zone has put Joburg bagels on the map.

Dating back to the Middle Ages, the history of this unique bread gives us insight into Jewish history over the past 800 years. Meaning “bracelet” in German, the bagel was something of an everyday bread for the Jews of Eastern Europe.

According to folklore, an unnamed Jewish baker in Vienna invented the bagel as a tribute to King John III Sobieski of Poland, who had saved the city from Turkish invaders with a daring cavalry charge.

However, other historians dispute this claim, arguing that the bagel can been traced to 17th century Kraków, Poland. With much of the local Jewish population living in poverty, bagels were said to be peasant food, tough and chewy during a time when soft, delicate bread was what wealthy people ate.

It took scarcely a few hours before these bagels turned utterly stale, meaning that they had to be eaten quickly and perhaps without much time to be savoured.

Still, bagels remained a Jewish staple in Poland for generations. Selling bagels was common in Jewish communities, and the penalties for doing so without a licence could be severe. According to historian Claudia Roden, despite the need for a licence, the illegal selling of bagels was common, especially among children. Irrespective of who was making them, the procedure followed was always the same: the bagels were dropped into a massive kettle filled with bubbling water and malt. In the heat of that constant boil, the dormant yeast is reactivated, the bagel floats to the surface and a shiny, chewy masterpiece is ready.

Their European roots aside, all agree that bagels were brought to North America by Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s. They quickly gained popularity in New York City.

However, this Jewish delicacy did not go mainstream until the 1960s, when bagel baker Murray Lender began selling them to supermarkets.

Although the association between New York and bagels is not that old, they are considered a typical American product, today sold in flavours such as blueberry and cinnamon, even outstripping sales of another round, quintessential American pastry, the doughnut.

Although New York is therefore considered the bagel capital of the world, it would seem that we Jews in Joburg can finally give this famed locale a run for its money.

This is because Bagel Zone, a small but lively store in the Genesis Shopping Centre in Fairmount, seems to have mastered the art of creating the real McCoy. Offering a variety of ten different types of bagel, including rye, onion, poppy, cinnamon & raisin, zaatar, and even choc chip, the store is something of a bagel paradise. Boiled in the traditional style prior to being baked, these bagels possess the famed bronze gloss and distinctively chewy texture.

Impressive though the bagels are, the array of fillings on offer is another sight to behold. Beyond the old reliable classics of cream cheese, salmon, and egg mayonnaise, the display fridge also features avocado, jalapeno cream cheese, capers, roasted vegetables, pesto, halloumi, and several other delectable fillings. A bagel can only hold so much, making one pressed for choice when confronted with such a sumptuous selection.

Requesting an onion bagel, I opted to sample a combination of tuna mayonnaise, avocado, grated cheddar cheese, and olives. After gazing appreciatively at the golden tint of what I held in my hand for just a moment, I bit into what I can only describe as a holy bagel. From the texture of the bread to the ideal balance of its flavours, the bagel was unquestionably a true homage to the original European wonder food.

I later learned that Bagel Zone operates not only in Fairmount, but also out of Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre, and even online. Using the website, one can select a bagel type, choose fillings, and process payment, and, once prepared, collect it from the store or have it delivered.

Whether ordered in advance or assembled and eaten on site, these creations eliminate the need to travel abroad in search of the perfect bagel.

Joburg may not be New York, and the Genesis Shopping Centre is certainly not Times Square, but local connoisseurs who turn their noses up at anything but the real deal will find at Bagel Zone a taste which throws even the Big Apple into the shade.