"Remember eating a bagel?"
That's how this story starts. But it takes a surprising turn when you realize that this is the story of how the authentic bagel, the one we remember from our childhood, has vanished. Or has it?
Enjoy the NPR audio recording from 1997 of Daniel Pinkwater. It's only 3 minutes long and very amusing.
Of course you can use this story to talk about how wonderful it is to eat a bagel, even today. Or maybe the thought of a bagel helps you remember events from the past: breakfast on Sunday or perhaps a specific holiday or family occasion. What's good with a bagel? Cream cheese? Lox? How about a cup of coffee and the morning paper?
Do you prefer a toasted bagel? What about day-old bagels? Can it be a bagel if it has blueberries inside?
But this is not just about food. it's also an opportunity to talk about how things change. You can talk about the 1950's when nobody even knew what bagels were outside of a few large cities with Jewish neighborhoods. And now, finding a bagel has never been easier and everyone seems to know about them.
Sure Dunkin Donuts sells bagels. But there is also a resurgence in hand-made, craft bagels and they can be pretty darn good.
