For Better Or For Worse, The Rainbow Bagel Invades London
England gave us the Beatles, fish and chips, and the wonderful gift of dry humor. How do New Yorkers repay our friends across the pond? By giving them the rainbow bagel.
According to The Guardian, the color wheel of dough that is reminiscent of something out of a Dr. Seuss book, and which is said to be sweeter than an average bagel, is now being sold at the Beigel Shop in London — a name that's similar to Brooklyn's Bagel Store, where the original rainbow bagel was conceived.
The Bagel Store pulled a Taylor Swift and trademarked the term "Rainbow Bagel," leading the Brits to call their colorful carb rings the Rainbow Beigel. Instead of cream cheese, as the bagel is served with in Brooklyn, the Brits opt for salt beef, according to The Guardian.
The most notable difference between the bagels isn't the spelling or what they're served with. It's the price. The London version sells for 50 pence (70 cents!), whereas the Brooklyn shop asks $3.95. The higher price in the U.S. didn't staunch demand: The original Brooklyn shop was so successful that the owners closed for about a week "for renovations" and to catch up on sleep, according to Gothamist.
Much like the rainbow bagel, cronuts (also trademarked by their creator, Dominique Ansel), have been duplicated internationally — even Dunkin' Donuts has its own croissant/donut mash-up. And another Brooklyn creation, the ramen burger, has been spotted around the United States and abroad, too. Now it appears the rainbow bagel will be NYC's next weird food gift to the world.