A prominent complaint of my wife's, ever since we moved to Jakarta, is the absence of bagels. Even Starbucks doesn't have bagels. Of course, the local restaurants, even the chain restaurants doing business locally, cater to local tastes. It's good business. And Indonesians don't seem to have an affinity for eating bread for breakfast.
An associate of mine recently became a partner in a Jakartan bagel business called Bagel Bagel. The week they opened, I purchased enough bagels for everyone on my staff to try one. That is when the comedy began.
I watched as many of them took their first bites. The look of sheer confusion on their faces as they bit into the bagel expecting the taste of donut and tasting, well, something much different than a donut, was absolutely priceless. I offered up the cream cheese, in two flavors, and watched with amusement as the bagel beginners spread the cheese on top like frosting on a cupcake. It was then I felt it appropriate to explain the finer points of bagel consumption: cut it in half, spread the cheese on the inside, and either eat it like a sandwich or like toast.
Then the questions began: "Is it supposed to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" Yes, it is. "Do Americans really eat this for breakfast?" Yes, we do. "Why isn't it sweet?" It isn't supposed to be; it's healthier that way. One said to me: "This will take me an hour to eat. It's very heavy."
I thought the bagels were delicious and ate four of them, over-consumption counterbalancing the healthiness of bagels compared to donuts. The owners were smart to put the bagel shop in an expat community and offer free delivery in the Kemang area. Expats will eat this stuff up! I hope Indonesians will also begin to appreciate bagels. I don't think they'll ever get past the requirement of rice being part of anything considered a meal. Much like pizza, I think bagels will eventually become one of Indonesian's favorite snacks.
An associate of mine recently became a partner in a Jakartan bagel business called Bagel Bagel. The week they opened, I purchased enough bagels for everyone on my staff to try one. That is when the comedy began.
I watched as many of them took their first bites. The look of sheer confusion on their faces as they bit into the bagel expecting the taste of donut and tasting, well, something much different than a donut, was absolutely priceless. I offered up the cream cheese, in two flavors, and watched with amusement as the bagel beginners spread the cheese on top like frosting on a cupcake. It was then I felt it appropriate to explain the finer points of bagel consumption: cut it in half, spread the cheese on the inside, and either eat it like a sandwich or like toast.
Then the questions began: "Is it supposed to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside?" Yes, it is. "Do Americans really eat this for breakfast?" Yes, we do. "Why isn't it sweet?" It isn't supposed to be; it's healthier that way. One said to me: "This will take me an hour to eat. It's very heavy."
I thought the bagels were delicious and ate four of them, over-consumption counterbalancing the healthiness of bagels compared to donuts. The owners were smart to put the bagel shop in an expat community and offer free delivery in the Kemang area. Expats will eat this stuff up! I hope Indonesians will also begin to appreciate bagels. I don't think they'll ever get past the requirement of rice being part of anything considered a meal. Much like pizza, I think bagels will eventually become one of Indonesian's favorite snacks.
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