Originally Posted by
sbm12
It is a mistaken association. Many assume Jews make lots of good bagels. In reality, Jews tend to EAT good bagels, regardless of who bakes them. And preferably with a smoked fish and a good shmear at the luncheon following a Bar Mitzvah or something.
Very true, although the bagel clearly transcended its
yiddishkeit quite some time ago and is now firmly a part of the mainstream American popular food culture, in much the same way as pizza is no longer strictly an Italian dish.
I knew I was old school (or should I write old schul?) when I walked into a hip bagel shop in Boulder a few years and involuntarily recoiled when I saw blueberry bagels...
Now, if you want a truly Jewish bread, try a bialy, which never made it mainstream because it doesn't keep nearly as well.
Finding a good bialy (even in New York) is very challenging. There are only two or three great bialy bakers left in NYC.