Gamliel, Hi….
Not only for paid subscribers…the Wall Street Journal article can be found online at
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 59642.htmlAnd now, your honor, I rise in defense of the Jewish people.
1. The
obwarzanek krakowski, is indeed a delicacy but is far different in both flavor and texture than the bagel. First of all, the dough is much lighter. So light in fact that no-one has ever broken a tooth eating an
obwarzanek while a fine bagel is so dense that those with old fashioned artificial dentures areoften embarassed when taking a bit only to find that both bagel and teeth come out of the mouth at the same time. Simply stated, the
obwarzanek is delicate while the bagel is dense.
2. It would take someone with a serious visual handicap to think a mere obwarzanek is a bagel. The surface of a bagel is always smooth while that of the obwarzanek is always curled. The difference is critical not only in the bite but in the flavor, for the curls give the
obwarzanek a hint of sweetness.
3. Equally important, the
obwarzanek is made from two rolled out balls of dough folded together while the bagel is made from a single rolling out. A bagel is seamless. The
obwarzanek has a seam.
4. When sliced in half, bothof the halves of the bagel remain firm. Firm enough for a generous smear of cream cheese or even (forgive me, for it is not Jewish) peanut butter. The
obwarzanek when sliced in half tends to become crumbly and even (at a worst possible scenario) to actually fall into distinct pieces.
5. As to major differences, once chewed,
obwarzaneki slide gently down the gullet into the stomach. A fine bagel on the other hand, no matter how well masticated never slides gently for, like a true knish once swallowed it makes its way through the gullet at near the speed of sound and hits the stomach with a resounding "boom". In a phrase ain't nothing delicate about a bagel.
With all due respect to the Wall Street Journal (indeed, still one of the world's very best newspapers*) if the kralowski is the progenator of anything it is not the bagel but the
bagele (pronouncede
bagelay).
Bageles are quite common fare in Israel, sold largely at kiosks and railroad and bus stations. They can also be found in the USA but primarily in Polish neighborhoods and there, by heaven they are offered as
obwarzaneki.
Now, to make myself perfeclty clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good
bagele. Sprinkled generously with salt, sesame seeds or other seeds, they can make for great munching while walking on the street,or waiting in between busses or trains.
But no matter how you cut it, a
bagele (or an
obwarzanek) is not a bagel. Need I mention as further proof that the
obwarzenek is not a bagel for its name is always written in italics.
Best and Smiling
Rogov
*The Wall Street Journal must be a great newspaper. After all, they gave two of my books absolute rave reviews.