Pizza bagel facts for kids
Pizza bagels with cheese
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| Type | Bagel |
|---|---|
| Course | Lunch |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Main ingredients | Bagel, tomato sauce, cheese |
| Variations | Other additional toppings |
A pizza bagel is a bagel with pizza toppings, originating in the United States.
History
It's said that Anthony DeMauro invented the pizza bagel in 1959 at Amster's Bagel Bakery (now closed) in South Euclid, a suburb of Cleveland, OH. However, it was not until May 26, 1970, when Amster Pizza Bagel, Inc. submitted registration for Pizza Bagels to the US Copyright Office. On October 1, 1970, Amster Pizza Bagel, Inc. registered for a product that contains 6 frozen pizza bagels in folding cartons with a net weight of 11 ounces (310 g). Out of Cleveland's famous West Side Market, Frickaccio's sells their legendary pizza bagels. Theirs have been featured on the Food Network and were enjoyed by President Barack Obama during a lunchtime visit to West Side Market.
It is commonly accepted that it was not until 1974 at a Western Bagel in Woodland Hills, California, that 17-year-old store clerk Bruce Treitman created what is now known as the pizza bagel: a flattened bagel with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
In early 2014, Katz Bagel Bakery in Chelsea, Massachusetts claimed that Harry Katz invented a variation of this pizza bagel in 1970. Unlike traditional pizza bagels, Katz' version is similar to a miniature pizza. Katz uses bagel dough without the hole, topped with cheese and tomato sauce.
There are also claims that a Long Island-based Entenmann's delivery driver named Frank Cerabino invented the pizza bagel in 1968, having received a surplus of excess bagels from bakeries on his route.
Other uses
The term "pizza bagel" also means a person of Italian and Jewish descent. This is most likely because pizza is a dish of Italian origin, and bagels are of Ashkenazi Jewish origin – and a combination of the two is a "pizza bagel."
Commercial distribution
The iconic and popular 'Bagel Bites' brand was inspired by the pizza bagel. Bagel Bites are a miniature, frozen version of the pizza bagel sold in commercial grocery stores.
