Bagel and cream cheese

Last updated
A bagel with cream cheese NCI cream cheese bagel.jpg
A bagel with cream cheese

A bagel and cream cheese (also known as bagel with cream cheese) is a food pairing that consists, in its basic form, of a sliced bagel spread with cream cheese. Bagels with cream cheese are traditionally and most commonly served open-faced, sliced horizontally and spread with cream cheese and other toppings. [1]

Contents

Bagels with cream cheese are common in American cuisine, especially in the cuisine of New York City and American Jewish cuisine. Bagels with cream cheese became popular in the 1980s as they expanded beyond Jewish communities. Bagels served closed as a sandwich also became increasingly popular for their portability. The basic bagel with cream cheese serves as the base for other items such as the "lox and schmear", a staple of delicatessens in the New York City area and across the U.S. While non-Jewish ingredients take well to bagel sandwiches, such as eggs and breakfast meats, cold cuts and sliced cheese, several traditional Jewish toppings for bagels do not work well between bagel halves, including the popular whitefish salad, pickled herring or chopped liver for the simple mechanical reason that soft toppings easily squirt out the sides when the bagel is bitten, as even a fresh bagel is firmer than most breads.

American cuisine

A toasted bagel with cream cheese Toasted bagel with cream cheese.jpg
A toasted bagel with cream cheese

A bagel with cream cheese is common in American cuisine, particularly in New York City. [2] It is often eaten for breakfast; with smoked salmon added, it is sometimes served for brunch. [2] [3] [4] [5] In New York City circa 1900, a popular combination consisted of a bagel topped with lox, cream cheese, capers, tomato, and red onion. [6]

The combination of a bagel with cream cheese has been promoted to American consumers in the past by American food manufacturers and publishers. [7] In the early 1950s, Kraft Foods launched an "aggressive advertising campaign" that depicted Philadelphia-brand cream cheese with bagels. [8] In 1977, Better Homes and Family Circle magazines published a bagel and cream cheese recipe booklet that was distributed in the magazines and also placed in supermarket dairy cases. [7]

American Jewish cuisine

A "lox and a schmear" is a sliced bagel with cream cheese and lox, a part of American Jewish cuisine. *this* is a bagel.jpg
A "lox and a schmear" is a sliced bagel with cream cheese and lox, a part of American Jewish cuisine.

In American Jewish cuisine, a bagel and cream cheese is sometimes called a "whole schmear" or "whole schmeer". [9] [10] A "slab" is a bagel with a slab of cream cheese on top. [10] A "lox and a schmear" is to a bagel with cream cheese and lox or “Nova” smoked salmon. The latter being the particular style of Atlantic salmon used by Jewish delis on the East coast, and often also referred to as lox, especially outside the old and shrinking Jewish lineage of delis, [11] [12] Tomato, red onion, capers and chopped hard-boiled egg are often added. [12] [13] These terms are used at some delicatessens in New York City, particularly at Jewish delicatessens and older, more traditional delicatessens. [10] [14]

The lox and schmear likely originated in New York City and Philadelphia, both sites of significant Polish immigration, around the time of the turn of the 20th century, when street vendors in the cities sold salt-cured belly lox from pushcarts. [12] A high amount of salt in the fish necessitated the addition of bread and cheese to offset the lox's saltiness. [12] It was reported by U.S. newspapers in the early 1940s that bagels and lox were sold by delicatessens in New York City as a "Sunday morning treat", and in the early 1950s, bagels and cream cheese combination were very popular in the United States, having permeated American culture. [2] [lower-alpha 1]

Mass production

Both bagels and cream cheese are mass-produced foods in the United States. [2] [16] [17] Additionally, in January 2003, Kraft Foods began purveying a mass-produced convenience food product named Philadelphia To Go Bagel & Cream Cheese, which consisted of a combined package of two bagels and cream cheese. [18] [19]

Bagels and cream cheese were provided to theater patrons by the cast of Bagels and Yox, a 1951 American-Yiddish Broadway revue, during the intermission period of the show. [lower-alpha 1] [20] [21] [22] The revue ran at the Holiday Theatre in New York City from September 1951 to February 1952. [20] [22] A 1951 review of Bagels and Yox published in Time magazine helped to popularize bagels to American consumers throughout the country. [8] [23]

"Bagel and Lox" is a humorous song about the virtues of the bagel, lox, and cream cheese sandwich. It was written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. It has been recorded by several different artists, including Eddie "Rochester" Anderson [24] and, more recently, Rob Schneider, [25] Joan Jaffe, [26] and Oleg Frish. [27] The lyrics to the chorus are:

Bagel and lox with the cheese in the middle,
Bagel and lox let it toast on the griddle,
Bagel and lox with the cheese in the middle,
And a slice of onion on the side.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 "The next stop for the bagel: Broadway. Its break into stardom came in the 1950s. By that time, the cream-cheese bagel was close to supplanting the traditional, Saturday-morning ham, eggs, and toast in America. It had saturated the culture." [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich</span> Food made with bread and other ingredients

A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a portable, convenient finger food in the Western world, though over time it has become prevalent worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagel</span> Ring-shaped bread product

A bagel is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels are traditionally made from yeasted wheat dough that is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, briefly boiled in water, and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuben sandwich</span> Type of sandwich with meat and sauerkraut

The Reuben sandwich is a North American grilled sandwich composed of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing or Russian dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread. It is associated with kosher-style delicatessens but is not kosher, as it combines meat and cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open sandwich</span> Single slice of bread with food items on top

An open sandwich, also known as an open-face/open-faced sandwich, bread baser, bread platter or tartine, consists of a slice of bread or toast with one or more food items on top. It has half the amount of bread of a typical closed sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream cheese</span> Soft, mild-tasting cheese with a high fat content

Cream cheese is a soft, usually mild-tasting fresh cheese made from milk and cream. Cream cheese is not naturally matured and is meant to be consumed fresh, so it differs from other soft cheeses such as Brie and Neufchâtel. It is more comparable in taste, texture, and production methods to Boursin and mascarpone. Stabilizers such as carob bean gum and carrageenan are often added in industrial production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of New York City</span> Culinary traditions of New York, New York (USA)

The cuisine of New York City comprises many cuisines belonging to various ethnic groups that have entered the United States through the city. Almost all ethnic cuisines are well represented in New York, both within and outside the various ethnic neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lox</span> Brined salmon

Lox is a fillet of brined salmon, which may be smoked. Lox is frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese, and often garnished with tomato, sliced onion, cucumbers, and capers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appetizing store</span> Type of retail establishment

An appetizing store, typically in reference to Jewish cuisine in New York City, particularly Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, is a store that sells "food that generally goes with bagels", although appetizings can also be served with a variety of breads. Appetizings include smoked and pickled fish and fish spreads, pickled vegetables, cream cheese spreads and other cheeses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosher style</span>

Kosher style refers to foods commonly associated with Jewish cuisine but which may or may not actually be kosher. It is a stylistic designation rather than one based on the laws of kashrut. Generally, kosher-style food does not include meat from forbidden animals, such as pigs and shellfish, and does not contain both meat and milk in the same dish; however if such dish includes meat, it might not be kosher slaughtered. In some U.S. states, the use of this term in advertising is illegal as a misleading term under consumer protection laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breakfast sandwich</span> Sandwich with breakfast foods

A breakfast sandwich is any sandwich filled with foods associated with breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, or commonly made at home. Different types of breakfast sandwich include the bacon sandwich, the egg sandwich, and the sausage sandwich; or various combinations thereof, like the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. The breakfast sandwich is related to the breakfast roll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of New Jersey</span> Cusine of the State of New Jersey

The cuisine of New Jersey is derived from the state's long immigrant history and its close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia. Due to its geographical location, New Jersey can generally be divided by New York City cuisine in the northern and central parts of the state and Philadelphia cuisine in the southern parts. Restaurants in the state often make use of locally grown ingredients such as asparagus, blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes, corn, and peaches. New Jersey is particularly known for its diners, of which there are approximately 525, the most of any state. Various foods invented in the state, such as the pork roll, and salt water taffy, remain popular there today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ham sandwich</span> Common type of sandwich

The ham sandwich is a common type of sandwich. The bread may be fresh or toasted, and it can be made with a variety of toppings including cheese and vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion or pickle slices. Various kinds of mustard and mayonnaise are also common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosher restaurant</span> Restaurant serving food permissible in Jewish dietary law

A kosher restaurant or kosher deli is an establishment that serves food that complies with Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). These businesses, which also include diners, cafés, pizzerias, fast food, and cafeterias, and are frequently in listings together with kosher bakeries, butchers, caterers, and other similar places, differ from kosher-style businesses in that they operate under rabbinical supervision, which requires that the laws of kashrut, as well as certain other Jewish laws, including the separation of meat and dairy must be observed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roast beef sandwich</span> Sandwich made from roast beef

The roast beef sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of sliced roast beef or sometimes beef loaf. It is sold at many diners in the United States, as well as fast food chains, such as Arby's, Rax Roast Beef, and Roy Rogers Restaurants. This style of sandwich often comes on a hamburger bun and may be topped with barbecue sauce and/or melted American cheese. The roast beef sandwich also commonly comprises bread, cold roast beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard, although it would not be uncommon to find cheese, horseradish, fresh/powdered chili pepper and even in some cases red onion. Roast beef sandwiches may be served hot or cold, and are sometimes served open faced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastrami on rye</span> Classic American deli sandwich

Pastrami on rye is a sandwich that was popularized in the Jewish kosher delicatessens of New York City. It was first created in 1888 by Sussman Volk, who served it at his deli on Delancey Street in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Jewish cuisine</span> Food, cooking, and dining customs associated with American Jews

American Jewish cuisine comprises the food, cooking, and dining customs associated with American Jews. It was heavily influenced by the cuisine of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States from Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th century. It was further developed in unique ways by the immigrants and their descendants, especially in New York City and other large metropolitan areas of the northeastern U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kornblatt's Delicatessen</span> Jewish deli in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Kornblatt's Delicatessen was a Jewish deli in Portland, Oregon. The business operated from 1991 to March 2023.

References

  1. ↑ "photos of bagels served sliced with cream cheese and other toppings".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Smith, A.F. (2013). New York City: A Food Biography. Big City Food Biographies. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 169. ISBN   978-1-4422-2713-2 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  3. ↑ Jenkins, J. (2007). The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan: 21 Days to Make Healthy Living a Lifetime Habit. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 227. ISBN   978-1-4406-2865-8 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  4. ↑ Cripps, J.B. (2004). Targeting the Source Text: A Coursebook in English for Translator Trainees. Aprender a traducir. Digitalia. p. 194. ISBN   978-84-8021-494-0 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  5. ↑ Colameco, M. (2009). Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City. Wiley. p. 58. ISBN   978-0-470-04443-8 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  6. ↑ Adamson, M.W.; Segan, F. (2008). Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 94. ISBN   978-0-313-08689-2.
  7. 1 2 Quick Frozen Foods. E.W.Williams Publications. 1977. p. 14. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Smith, A.F.; Oliver, G. (2015). Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City. Oxford University Press. p. 28. ISBN   978-0-19-939702-0 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  9. ↑ West, C.K. (2012). The Psychology of Bagels. Barking Loons, Incorporated. p. 15. ISBN   978-0-9883823-0-5 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Axelrod, A. (2011). The Cheaper the Crook, the Gaudier the Patter: Forgotten Hipster Lines, Tough Guy Talk, and Jive Gems. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 125. ISBN   978-1-62873-017-3 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Let's Go New York City 16th Edition. Let's Go New York City. St. Martin's Press. 2006. p. 62. ISBN   978-0-312-36087-0 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "A Field Guide to the American Sandwich". The New York Times. April 14, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  13. ↑ Viggiano, Brooke (October 29, 2012). "What's Cooking This Week? Bagels, Lox and Schmear + More". Houston Press. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  14. ↑ Dixler, Hillary (June 30, 2014). "The Classic Bagel and Salmon Sandwich at Russ & Daughters in New York City". Eater. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  15. ↑ Muston, Samuel (January 30, 2015). "A freshly-cooked bagel is good for the soul". The Independent. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ Fox, Margalit (September 22, 2015). "Daniel Thompson, Whose Bagel Machine Altered the American Diet, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  17. ↑ Weinzweig, A. (2003). Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating: How to Choose the Best Bread, Cheeses, Olive Oil, Pasta, Chocolate, and Much More . Houghton Mifflin. p.  208. ISBN   978-0-395-92616-1 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  18. ↑ Thompson., Stephanie (January 13, 2003). "New to-go line: Kraft boosts bucks for Philly". AdAge. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  19. ↑ Brandweek. Adweek. 2003. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  20. 1 2 Dietz, D. (2014). The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 84–86. ISBN   978-1-4422-3505-2 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  21. ↑ Piepenburg, Erik (August 24, 2008). "A Guide to the Obscure References in '[title of show]'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  22. 1 2 Kanfer, S. (2007). Stardust Lost: The Triumph, Tragedy, and Mishugas of the Yiddish Theater in America. Vintage Series. Vintage Books. p. 262. ISBN   978-1-4000-7803-5 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  23. ↑ Smith, A. (2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. p. 107. ISBN   978-0-19-973496-2 . Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  24. ↑ "Bagel and Lox: Tepper". Internet Archive. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  25. ↑ Tamarkin, Jeff. "The Jewish Songbook: The Heart & Humor of a People". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Joan Jaffe Sings Funny..." AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Duets with My American Idols". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2017.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.