How a simple bagel reveals the power and reach of standardization in our food system.
Bagels, once a luxury for European Jews, became a mass market standard precisely because steamship lines standardized imports.
The first modern bread standardization came from shipping needs, not bakeries, making bagels a paradoxical victim of industrial efficiency.
Uniform bagel sizes emerged not from taste but from train luggage and bakery packaging constraints of the 19th century.
Standardization turned bagels into a global commodity, yet regional toppings reveal more culinary diversity than most bread categories.
How a simple bagel reveals the power and reach of standardization in our food system.
Bagels, once a luxury for European Jews, became a mass market standard precisely because steamship lines standardized imports.
The first modern bread standardization came from shipping needs, not bakeries, making bagels a paradoxical victim of industrial efficiency.
Uniform bagel sizes emerged not from taste but from train luggage and bakery packaging constraints of the 19th century.
Standardization turned bagels into a global commodity, yet regional toppings reveal more culinary diversity than most bread categories.
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