Bagel and cream cheese facts for kids
A bagel and cream cheese is a super popular food combo, especially in America. It's basically a sliced bagel with creamy cream cheese spread inside. People often eat it as a sandwich, cut in half with the cream cheese in the middle.
Bagels became really popular in the 1980s, moving beyond just Jewish communities. This made the bagel sandwich a favorite because it's easy to carry around. The basic bagel with cream cheese is also the starting point for other yummy foods, like the "lox and schmear" sandwich.
Bagels in American Food
Bagels with cream cheese are a common sight in American food, especially in New York City. Many people enjoy them for breakfast. If you add smoked salmon, it becomes a popular choice for brunch. Around 1900 in New York City, a favorite bagel combo included lox, cream cheese, capers, tomato, and red onion.
Food companies and magazines have helped make bagels and cream cheese famous. In the early 1950s, Kraft Foods ran ads showing their Philadelphia cream cheese with bagels. Later, in 1977, magazines like Better Homes and Family Circle even shared a special recipe booklet for bagels and cream cheese.
Bagels in Jewish American Food
In American Jewish cuisine, a bagel with cream cheese is sometimes called a "whole schmear." If you add lox (which is smoked salmon), it's called a "lox and a schmear." People often add other toppings like tomato, red onion, capers, and chopped hard-boiled egg. You might hear these terms at delicatessens, especially older Jewish delis in New York City.
The "lox and schmear" probably started in New York City around the early 1900s. Back then, street vendors sold salty lox. People added bread and cheese to make the fish less salty. By the 1940s, newspapers were calling bagels and lox a "Sunday morning treat." By the 1950s, bagels and cream cheese were super popular all over the United States.
Making Bagels for Everyone
Both bagels and cream cheese are now made in large factories in the United States. This means lots of people can enjoy them! In 2003, Kraft Foods even started selling a special product called Philadelphia To Go Bagel & Cream Cheese. It was a package with two bagels and cream cheese, ready to eat on the go.
