A bialy and bagel are both savory breakfast items that can be enjoyed on the go or leisurely in a café. Although they are usually lumped together, these Jewish deli treats are pretty different from one another.
A bialy is a baked yeast roll that does not have a hole like a bagel but contains some delicious seasonings in its depressed center. On the other hand, a bagel is rounder in shape and has seeds or other seasonings on top. However, no matter which one you choose, you can never go wrong with your choice.
There is even more to this question, so let’s really dig into it.
The Differences between a Bialy and Bagel
Bialy vs. Bagel – Cultural Importance
A bialy is a delicious yeast roll invented in a town called Bialystock in Poland. The bialy is a shortened form of the Yiddish bialystoker kuchen. The bialy is an important cultural food item for the Polish and Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews who immigrated to the U.S.A and brought it with them.
The bialy never became popular anywhere else in the States except for its northeastern part, especially New York City. It was a place where many Ashkenazi Jews families settled and grew, so naturally, the bialy became popular in the region.
Although you might find several origin stories for the bagel, these delicious treats were also invented by the Ashkenazi Jews. As opposed to the bialy, bagels were invented in Krakow, Poland, and were similar to bulbik. However, bagels have a smaller hole in the middle and are much softer to chew in texture.
Some of the earliest mentions of bagels (around 1610) say that they had to be given to women after childbirth. The round shape of the bagel suggested that it had magical powers.
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Bialy vs. Bagel – Appearance
A bialy and a bagel are quite different in looks, and you can easily spot the difference between both items by just looking at them.
While a bagel has a rounded shape due to the rough rising in the water, the bialy is flat. Traditionally, a bagel has a hole in the middle, while a bialy has a depression that is filled with chopped onion, breadcrumbs, poppy seeds, and garlic.
The bialy has a puffy appearance, and you will notice pockets of air and holes as soon as you cut into them. These nooks and crannies are ideal for holding butter or other condiments, and you can enjoy its crispy texture as soon as you bite into it.
Although a bagel has a uniform standard size, a bialy is available in a range of sizes you can choose from according to your preference.
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Bialy vs. Bagel – Ingredients & Cooking Method
Aside from the apparent differences between bagels and bialy, the preparation method and ingredients also vary a lot.
A bagel contains more flour than a bialy and has malt, an ingredient that is not added to make a bialy. The malt of a bagel transforms into sugar when cooked, and you can add a number of seasonings on top of it after the bagel has been boiled. On the other hand, a bialy only has seasonings in the middle of its depression.
Bialys are usually made from gluten flour instead of wheat flour. The cooking method of a bialy is different than a bagel. They do not need to be parboiled before being baked. They are simply baked in the oven and allowed to rest afterward. This is why a bialy’s crust is similar to that of bread rather than smooth and shiny like a bagel’s. It is also a little dry and crispier due to its flat shape.
A bagel is cooked by boiling it first and then put in the oven to be baked to fresh golden perfection. This allows the bagel to develop a chewy soft texture on the inside and a crispy crunch on the outside.
Bialy vs. Bagel – How to Enjoy Each
The bialy is best enjoyed when it is hot out of the oven; however, it isn’t easy to find a location selling them fresh. Since not many places sell bialys, you may have to settle for premade bialys at a Jewish deli.
The best way to enjoy a bialy is to slice, butter, and devour it piece by piece. Saving the well-seasoned middle part with the onions is a great option if you like to end your meals with a bang.
If you want freshly made hot bialys, you can also make them yourself at home. If not, plenty of brands sell bialys and deliver them to your home. You can reheat and crisp up these bialys in the oven or slice them in half to toast them to your liking.
Bagels can be enjoyed in a similar fashion, but since they are much more popular than bialys, there are a lot of condiments you can try with bagels.
New York Bagels are much better than bagels you can try elsewhere. You can enjoy the best bagels with various cream cheese schmears and smoked fish. You can also store your bagels and bialys in the freezer and reheat them as per your need later. Both bagels and bialys keep well in the freezer.
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Bialy vs. Bagel – Frequently Asked Questions
How do you eat a bialy?
Bialys can be served similarly to a bagel. You can slice them, smear some cream cheese on their craggy surface, and fill them up with your favorite lox or smoked fish.
Is a bialy healthier than a bagel?
A bialy is much healthier than a bagel usually. A plain bagel can amount to 310 calories at Dunkin’ Donuts, while a bialy only has 170 calories. This makes a bialy a much better option among the two.
Are bialys softer than bagels?
A bagel is much crispier, drier, and lighter than a bagel. It is best to pair a bialy with butter to soften it and introduce some fattiness.
Can you eat bialys with cream cheese?
Bialys are best enjoyed with butter traditionally. Nevertheless, bialys taste amazing when you pair them with cream cheese or other types of schmear. If you like, you can even add some smoked or cured fish to bialys on top of cream cheese.
Should bialys be toasted before eating?
Bialys taste amazing when they are fresh and even better the next day when you toast them to enjoy with butter.
Bagel & Bialy Brunch from the OLDEST Bialy Bakery in America: Kossar’s Bagels and Bialys
Watch Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys’ owner, Marom Unger, prepare their iconic Bialy + Bagel Brunch on Goldbelly TV! Kossar’s has been serving brick oven-baked bialys and kettle-boiled bagels since 1936, and today it’s a New York icon and the oldest bialy bakery in America.
Summary
Bialys and bagels have more similarities than differences. However, they are distinct Jewish deli treats.
You can find bagels more commonly in Jewish delis than bialys and enjoy them with a number of cream cheese schmears.
On the other hand, bialys taste best when they are toasted and hot and have butter smeared on their rugged surface inside.
If you would like to know more about other Jewish deli treats, feel free to click on the links below.
My name is Jay and I started this website to share my love of Deli Food. I am Jewish with Italian ancestry and grandparents who emigrated to the US from Poland, Russia and Turkey. This website is my celebration of the delicious flavors of international deli culture. Please feel free to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form.