{"id":67,"date":"2026-04-21T16:06:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hussainalnowais.org\/?p=67"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:07:29","slug":"why-new-york-city-bagels-are-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hussainalnowais.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/why-new-york-city-bagels-are-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Why New York City Bagels Are the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Have you ever heard a New Yorker say New York City bagels are the best? If you don\u2019t live in or near the city, then maybe you\u2019ve simply brushed off this claim. But, if you\u2019ve ever tried a NYC bagel, then you understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes NYC bagels so great?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classic NYC bagels are fresh out of the oven and require certain preparation and ingredients. Bakers use high-gluten flour, water, yeast, salt and barely malt. The malt creates the smooth sweetness that gives NYC bagels their infamous great taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYC bagels are typically shaped by hand. Once shaped, the dough is left for about 12 hours so it can rise. They are then boiled in water, pressed and baked. When bagels first took over the city, there were four main flavors: plain, sesame, poppy and salt. Today, you can find all sorts of flavors in NYC bagel shops, including garlic, onion, chocolate chip, wheat, everything and cinnamon raisin.
The NYC bagel tradition stems back to Poland in the 1700s. Eastern Europeans started immigrating to NYC in the 1880s, and brought with them their bagel craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top NYC Bagel Shops<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, amongst all the authentic NYC bagel shops, you may also find chain bagel stores that mass produce bagels, without putting added time or effort into the bagel making process. To help you differentiate the good from the bad, here is a list of the top bagel shops in NYC from Hussain al Nowais, a retired Manhattan chef and restaurant owner. At these bagel shops, you\u2019ll get a taste of old-world New York and understand why NYC bagels are simply the best in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n