LOS ANGELES – The bagel is experiencing a renaissance, and BagelFest West in Los Angeles showcased the best of this beloved Jewish immigrant food. Held on April 12 at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion, the festival attracted foodies, bakers, and innovators who presented endless varieties, cooking styles, and toppings. A thousand attendees, each holding an open cardboard box reminiscent of ballpark hot dog vendors, navigated the venue to sample the offerings.
Disruptive Innovation and Respectful Traditionalism
The event highlighted two trends: disruptive innovation and respectful traditionalism. J.D. Rocchio, co-owner of Belle's Bagels in Los Angeles, noted, "We're finally swinging back the pendulum of all this carb-free stuff. During the pandemic, a lot of people were baking their own bread and finding a love and appreciation for fresh breads." He added that customizability plays a key role, allowing people to define their own bagel experience.
Most Creative Bagel Creations
Among the dozens of tastes, the most bizarre came from Rise Bagel of Irvine, California, which won the festival's "Most Creative" award. Their creation featured a Tokyo egg salad on a furikake bagel with Tokyo negi schmear, a jammy quail egg topped with house-made Korean chili crisp. A companion piece was a lightly salted sesame bagel with cookie butter schmear, topped with pickled watermelon rind with tajin, a beet strawberry ganache, and a tangerine basil vinaigrette.
BagelFest Expansion
First launched in 2019 in New York, BagelFest expanded to Los Angeles this year. The event is produced by BagelUp, in conjunction with the King Arthur Baking Company and Jewish Food Lab at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Toronto will host its own BagelFest on April 25 at Henderson Brewing Company, with participating companies including Bagel World, Gryfe's, and Bagel Plus.
Selection Process
Sam Silverman, BagelFest's director, said there were 100 applicants in L.A., but only 16 were approved. "Frankly, not everybody meets the standard of what we believe is a great bagel. If you're making what's essentially a mass-produced bread that is in a bagel shape, you don't belong here," he explained.
History of the Bagel
According to BagelFest organizers, the bagel was invented in the 1600s in Poland as a response to antisemitic laws prohibiting Jews from baking bread. In a creative loophole, Jews boiled the dough before baking, creating a tough crust that preserved freshness. The hole in the middle allowed for easier transport via dowels or strings. Folk etymology suggests the word "bagel" comes from the Hebrew "b'galgal" ("on the wheel"), but standard references trace it to Yiddish "beygl" (also spelled "beigel"), derived from Middle High German "boug/beugel," meaning "ring" or "bracelet."
