American cities have a tendency to lay claim to certain
foods, attacking counterfeits and taking bragging rights to new extremes. New
York has a few items in their winners circle, but the boroughs’ introduction of
the Everything bagel has made the breakfast fixe quite iconic. With its disgruntled
varnish of sesame, poppy, caraway seeds and a distinct amount of salt, onion
and garlic, the Everything bagel matches the frenetic melting pot of characteristics
and cultures found in New York. Similar to the city itself, the bagel is
complex. And don’t start to understand the schmear. It’s of course an unsaid
culinary regulation in the city that a dollop of cream cheese just won’t do.
Instead, bagel artists slather the high-fat, cheesy delicacy on thick, with over-sized
spreading knives that rival wedding cake servers. When I lived Manhattan, my diet included weekly pre-work bagel purchases (“Everything, toasted with veggie cream cheese”), and it’s forever made a culinary imprint in my heart.
The Everything bagel is arguably one of the most “New York” items
on a menu, and its crossover into other food staples is on-trend lately. From everything
bagel-flavored pastas to hot dog buns, the mix of seeds and spices transitions
to savory items with ease. But where the “everything” flavor is quite expected (and
at the top of its game) is scattered on pretzels—crisps, buns, you name it.
The idea isn’t new, but it’s instead being reinvented for
the all-natural food group. PRESSELS is
making its debut in the U.S., and they’ve already got my vote for a great
representation of the Everything flavor. PRESSELS is the first all-natural,
non-GMO certified, pressed pretzel to hit the market, and a guilt-free snack
that does my favorite New York-style bagel justice. They’re super thin and
baked, with 80 percent less fat than a typical chip. They’re coated with
garlic, black caraway, sesame and onion, but also available in Original
(salted) and Sesame flavors.
-Megan
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