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Here are today’s five food things to know about the Bagel:

The bagel originated in Poland and it was designed for Lent.

Its name derives from the Yiddish word ‘bengal’, meaning ‘ring’ or ‘bracelet’.

Immigrant Polish-Jews brought the bagel to the United States.

Automated production and distribution of frozen bagels started in the 1960s with bagel baker Harry Lender, Murray Lender, and Florence Sender.

The hole in the center of the bagel is for multiple bagels to be threaded onto a dowel, which allows bakers to transport the bagel more easily.

Today’s Food History

1686 Prince Louis II de Condé, known as the Great Condé, died. He was a French general who loved to hunt and had a passion for rice. Several dishes have been named for him, including Consommé Condé and Creme Condé.

1874 James Lewis Kraft was born. Founder of Kraft Co. a wholesale cheese distributor and producer. In 1916 he patented pasteurized process cheese, a low cost cheese that would not spoil. Not a great hit with the public, but the U.S. army purchased over 6 million tins of it during WW I. During the depression, it became popular because of its low cost.

1940 David Gates of the music group ‘Bread’ was born.

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