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The Love New York Guide № 001: The New York Bagel

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Hand holding a split bagel with cream cheese and lox
Photo: Caitlin Dever / Shutterstock

The classic New York bagel starts its life in a pot of water, not an oven — a brief boil before baking is the step that gives it that glossy, chewy crust and dense interior. Purists trace its character to the city’s soft tap water, drawn largely from the Catskill and Delaware watersheds upstate, though bakers still argue about how much the water really matters. What almost everyone agrees on is that a proper bagel is hand-shaped, boiled, and baked the same day it is eaten. This is Guide № 001 in The Love New York Guide series.

What’s inside

  • Where the New York Bagel Came From
  • How a Real New York Bagel Is Made
  • The Water Question
  • How to Order Like a Local
  • Bagel and Lox, and the Appetizing Store

Get the Full Collectible Guide (Free PDF)

The New York Bagel — in a beautifully designed, printable booklet. The Love New York Guide № 001.

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