Supermarkets everywhere are selling 'counterfeit' bagels

Sunday, April 22, 2012 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: bagels, supermarkets, food origins

---

(NaturalNews) Bagels have their origin as a traditional food among the Jews of 16th century Poland. Because fresh bread was a staple food but no cooking could be done on the Sabbath, the bagel dough would be prepared before the Sabbath and then placed in a cool place to slowly rise throughout the course of the day. Once the Sabbath was over, the dough would be immersed briefly in boiling water and then baked. The reason for the boiling is murky, but the effects are clear: boiling gives the outside of the dough a thick, chewy crust that prevents the inside of the dough from rising much during baking. This, in turn, makes the inside of a bagel dense and also chewy.

Most bagels sold in supermarkets and even bagel shops across the United States lack this signature texture, because boiling each individual bagel is a labor-intensive process that would raise manufacturing costs significantly. To avoid these costs, most modern manufacturers instead use machinery to steam the bagels before baking. Unfortunately, this does not produce the same texture as the traditional method, leaving many bagel purists with no choice but to make their own.

Even worse, many bagels sold in grocery stores today are really just "donut-shaped rolls" in that their bread quality and texture is exactly the same as a regular dinner roll. Many consumers have never had real bagels, so they don't know the difference.

For the record, when I was 15, I taught a computer summer camp that taught young children how to use computers (this was back in the day when personal computers where just coming onto the scene). That business was owned by a Jewish gentleman who also owned a bagel shop nearby, and each morning before I began teaching, I would purchase a couple of bagels and enjoy them. This was my first exposure to real bagels, and I still remember the taste and texture to this day.

The bagels I see in the grocery store today are a complete joke.

Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food, authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what's really in it! Download the full report (FREE) by clicking here. Inside, you'll learn 24 more amazing but true facts about foods, beverages and food ingredients. Instant download of the complete PDF. All 25 facts are documented and true.

Additional sources:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/food-science/food-science-why-bagels-are-boiled-086711
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagel
http://www.aish.com/j/fs/82246757.html