Friday, November 9, 2007

Bialys vs. Bagels

Last night I caught bits and pieces of Food Trip with Todd English where he visited some of NYC’s famed food emporiums, one of them being Kossar's, known for its bialys. I realized, I don't think I had ever had a bialy ever in life! Bialys are different from bagels- while bagels are first boiled and then baked, bialys are just baked. They resemble the shape of a bagel (in place of the hole in the center, there is a depression where onions and/or chives might be added) but have the consistency of an English muffin. They are actually of Polish origin.

I was inspired to try a bialy, but because I couldn't make it to Kossar's, I snagged one from the office cafeteria. I sampled it with scallion cream cheese--- however, at the suggestion of the cashier, it seemed to work much better with butter and raspberry preserves (My hypothesis is this is because the butter & jam better are able to seep into the nooks and crannies, like they do on an English muffin).

Sometimes I love a good, thick bagel, but I can see myself enjoying a bialy as a lighter, yet carb-satisfying alternative for those days I don’t want to have a big bagel.

Which do you generally prefer?

Kossar's Bialys
367 Grand Street
New York, NY 10002
877-424-2597
http://www.kossarsbialys.com/

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