What Makes a True New York Bagel? (2024)

This past Tuesday, New York stomachs grumbled as a Manhattan institution closed its doors. H&H bagels, considered by many to be the best example of a true New York bagel, closed its iconic Upper West Side location without explanation (although The Daily News reports that some speculate an inability to make rent). People traveled to the shop from near and far to taste the true
New York bagels. But what makes a New York bagel so much better than any other?

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Slate's "Explainer" tackled the question of what sets a New York bagel apart from your typical morning bagel. Many believe that it's in the water, and, in part, it is. New York has particularly soft water, which means lower levels of calcium carbonates and magnesium. The average amount of calcium carbonate in New York's water is 19 milligrams per liter, while the average is 55 milligrams per liter in San Francisco, 149 milligrams per liter in Chicago, and more than 200 milligrams per liter in Los Angeles. Hard water means tough gluten, which means tough bagels. But that's just one part of the explanation.

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New York bagel shops (the real, genuine ones, that is) ferment their dough overnight in wooden containers, which allows tasty yeasts to grow and create complex flavor compounds. They then poach the bagels before baking them. The poaching is what you can thank for that true chewy texture of a New York bagel. It gelatinizes the dough. These steps are often too time consuming and expensive for new bagel shops. If you're unsure of the legitimacy of your breakfast bagel, check the underside. If the bottom is darker and harder than the rest of the bagel, then you've been duped.

So raise a cup of coffee and spread a shmear in memory of the iconic H&H Upper West Side location.