Pizza bagel
Encyclopedia
A pizza bagel is a bagel
with pizza
toppings. The simple tomato sauce and cheese pizza bagel is the most common, though a layer of cream cheese sometimes is used as a base under the tomato sauce and cheese. Toppings can vary as widely as pizza toppings can.
A bagel is cut in two. Preferably, the bagel should then be toasted lightly to control absorption of the tomato sauce. Each side is then covered with tomato sauce, cheese, and other toppings. The pizza bagel is then placed through a conveyor toaster
or in an oven to melt the cheese and warm the bagel. Due to the risk of fire, pop-up toasters should not be used to cook pizza bagels. The dish is usually served open-faced. A commercial product, Bagel Bites
, is sold as platters of smaller frozen pizza bagels with a variety of toppings.
The creation of the pizza bagel is often attributed to the demographic composition of the New York metropolitan area
. In the early 20th century, Jewish and Italian immigrants often settled together in areas such as Brooklyn
and Lower Manhattan
. Today, these groups populate suburban areas such as Long Island
and Northern New Jersey.
In 1974 Western Bagel in the San Fernando Valley, California began to sell the pizza bagel with widespread popularity. Although many have claimed responsibility for its invention, it is commonly agreed that the 17 year old store clerk, Bruce Treitman, was responsible for its creation. The pizza bagel was modernized by Great Canadian Bagel in the early 1990s' when Andrew Shopsowitz asked his father if he could put pizza on a bagel.
These immigrants quickly began to sample the culture and cuisines of their new neighbors and began the process of merging the pizza bagel as a token of the Jewish and Italian neighborhoods multicultural nature, with the Italians supplying the pizza elements of the dish on top of the Jewish-made bread
, the bagel.
The term "pizza bagel," inspired by the food, has today began to take on the meaning of an individual who is half ethnically Jewish and half Italian, or a Jew of Italian descent, especially in mixed ethnicity communities on Long Island
and South Florida as well as other communities around the country.
Bagel
A bagel is a bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior...
with pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
toppings. The simple tomato sauce and cheese pizza bagel is the most common, though a layer of cream cheese sometimes is used as a base under the tomato sauce and cheese. Toppings can vary as widely as pizza toppings can.
Toaster
The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 W and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes...
or in an oven to melt the cheese and warm the bagel. Due to the risk of fire, pop-up toasters should not be used to cook pizza bagels. The dish is usually served open-faced. A commercial product, Bagel Bites
Bagel Bites
Bagel Bites are a snack type pizza bagel.-History:Bagel Bites were invented by Stanley Garczynski and Bob Mosher, both of Fort Myers, Florida, and then later sold to a major food producer. It is currently owned by Heinz via the Ore-ida brand....
, is sold as platters of smaller frozen pizza bagels with a variety of toppings.
The creation of the pizza bagel is often attributed to the demographic composition of the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. In the early 20th century, Jewish and Italian immigrants often settled together in areas such as Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
. Today, these groups populate suburban areas such as Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and Northern New Jersey.
In 1974 Western Bagel in the San Fernando Valley, California began to sell the pizza bagel with widespread popularity. Although many have claimed responsibility for its invention, it is commonly agreed that the 17 year old store clerk, Bruce Treitman, was responsible for its creation. The pizza bagel was modernized by Great Canadian Bagel in the early 1990s' when Andrew Shopsowitz asked his father if he could put pizza on a bagel.
These immigrants quickly began to sample the culture and cuisines of their new neighbors and began the process of merging the pizza bagel as a token of the Jewish and Italian neighborhoods multicultural nature, with the Italians supplying the pizza elements of the dish on top of the Jewish-made bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, the bagel.
The term "pizza bagel," inspired by the food, has today began to take on the meaning of an individual who is half ethnically Jewish and half Italian, or a Jew of Italian descent, especially in mixed ethnicity communities on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and South Florida as well as other communities around the country.