The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co Revenue and Competitors

Legend has it that the first bagel was born in 1683 when a Viennese baker produced the round roll in the shape of a stirrup, known in German as beugel. It was a tribute to Polish King Jan III Sobieski, an avid horseman, who saved the people of Austria from Turkish invaders. The bagel however, may be even older going back to 1610 in the community of Krakow, Poland. It was stated that "bagels would be given as a gift to any woman in childbirth." It is believed that the ring shape of the bagel may have been seen by the poles as a symbol of life. Whatever the true origin of the bagel, the donut shaped roll quickly caught on becoming a staple with Eastern Europeans.