Bagel capital of the world

Jan. 15 marked “Marked National Bagel Day” in the United States.

There are many who would argue that the best bagels can only be found in the Northeast. But is there one true place to get the world’s best bagels?

The official Twitter account for the state of New Jersey seems to think so, declaring the Garden State “Bagel Capital of the World,” along with a bunch of bagel emojis in the shape of New Jersey.

People on Twitter were quick to respond.

One Twitter user said that the best bagels were only found in North Jersey. Another said that the bagel capital is actually in Brooklyn. The NJGov account simply replied, “No.”

There are many theories as to why New Jersey bagels are so good. According to the food publication “Spoon University,” one of those reasons is the water used to make New Jersey bagels.

“New Jersey gets its water from the Catskill Mountains which has very soft water, meaning it has a low concentration of calcium and magnesium. This softness of the water affects the gluten in the dough,” the publication wrote.

Waiting in line for bagels on a weekend morning has become a New Jersey rite of passage. Last year, News 12’s Brian Donohue took a look at the traditio

The History of Bagels: Why NYC is Viewed as the Bagel Capital


Bagels have been around for centuries dating back to the 1600s when bakers in Eastern Europe created one of the most epic foods that’s more relevant today than ever, but why is New York City many times viewed as the bagel capital of the world as opposed to Los Angeles, Montreal and other destinations that also dish out amazing bagels? Let’s explore.

First and foremost, looking back in time, it’s important to understand the trajectory and how Jews were forced out of Europe and neighborhoods like the Bronx, Washington Heights and others in NYC became a place where they created a new life. And with that they brought their tastes, traditions, and best of all old school bagel recipes.

After families first arrived in NYC they started to branch out over time – to Los Angeles, Miami and other cities – but the traditions still remained the same. And that expansion is what led to Western Bagel launching the first bagel bakery in Los Angeles, CA in 1947.

Known as the “Bagel That Won the West,” Western Bagel has been carrying on the tradition ever since and it’s exciting to see how our roots have grown into what Western Bag


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There are more food festivals in Upstate New York than you can shake a pickle at. Corn, apples, Italian food, garlic, chicken wings, and more (including a pickle festival!) celebrate a wide variety of foods that we love.

The
BagelFest in Monticello
is one of he most fun food festivals you can attend.

The festival has been around for decades and the crowds get bigger each year. Thousands attend for the family fun, live entertainment, great food courts and craft vendors, and, of course, bagels as far as the eye can see!





So, why is Monticello, NY the “Bagel Capital of the USA?” Well, the simple reason is that there never was a bagel capital before. So, Monticello sprung into action. They found in their historical archives that Louis Wichinsky, of Sullivan County, filed the first ever patent application for a machine making large amounts of bagels at a time (600 dozen bagels a day) on March 8, 1966. And, luck of all lucks, not only did his patent get approved but the city still had t

Did You Know, Monticello New York is The Bagel Capital of the World?


January 15th is National Bagel Day, but guess what? Every day is National Bagel Day in the Hudson Valley.

You're probably asking yourself "but, why!?" Because the Bagel capital of THE WORLD (yes, that's right the world) is located in Sullivan County.

Monticello, New York: Bagel Capital of The World

I was craving a bagel this morning like most people do during the early AM hours. So I did a little search about bagel spots near me and randomly stumbled upon The Bagel Festival. Apparently, this festival takes place in Monticello, New York

Believe me, I had to do a double-take too.

We all know New York City usually gets the "Bagel Capital" title, but The New York State Senate and Assembly have passed a resolution proclaiming that Monticello is indeed the Bagel Capital of the World.

Why is Monticello, NY the Bagel Capital of The World?

According to the aforementioned proclamation, a Sullivan County native invented the original bagel-making machine. The Legislative Resolution states:


WHEREAS, The original bagel-making machine was invented by Louis Wichinsky of Hurleyville,