Montreal Style Bagels

You see it on our website, our menus, our ads, and even the promotional billboard outside our store – our bagels are baked fresh daily and are authentic “New York style”. It’s a feature that we couldn’t be more proud of, but beyond all the advertising hype, what does it actually mean for a bagel to baked New York style?

It all comes down to the technique – a New York style bagel is produced differently than its popular Canadian counterpart, the Montreal style bagel. First, consider the ingredients. NY style bagels are made with malt and salt, while Montreal bagels are made with malt mixed with sugar and contain no salt. Then there is the method of cooking. New York style bagels are first boiled in water and then baked in a standard oven. Montreal style bagels are boiled in honey-sweetened water and then baked in a wood-fired oven.

Although these differences seem small and unimportant, the end result is two completely different bagels. The Montreal style bagel is smaller than standard bagels, contains a larger hole in the center, is crunchy, and tastes very sweet. The New York style bagel is puffy and moist – the bagel we all know and love.

Have you ever had a Montreal style bagel? How does it compare to its NY counterpart? Let us know by leaving a comment below and check in with us every Monday for a new bagel-icious post!

Caitlin Reardon is a rising sophomore at The University of Chicago and a freelance content writer for St. Pete Bagel Co.