Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
Bagel with lox merged Eastern European Jewish traditions in New York City. Bagels arrived with Jewish immigrants from Poland in the late 19th century. Lox (from Yiddish 'laks,' meaning salmon) refers specifically to salt-cured, unsmoked salmon, though the term now covers any cured salmon on a bagel. Smoked salmon and cream cheese were expensive; the combination was reserved for special occasions. By mid-20th century, Jewish delis established the standard: toasted bagel, schmear of cream cheese, draped lox, topped with capers, red onion, and tomato. Today's 'lox' is usually Nova Scotia-style smoked salmon, milder than the heavily salted original.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- toaster — Toasts bagels until golden and slightly crisp on cut sides for proper texture
Ingredients
Instructions
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Toast the bagels
Slice bagels in half. Toast until golden and slightly crisp on cut sides.
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Assemble and serve
Spread each bagel half generously with cream cheese. Drape smoked salmon over. Top with capers, red onion rings, and tomato slices.