Lifelong fans of sesame bagels, ordering an everything bagel at Zabar’s, our favorite specialty food shop in New York City, proved a no-brainer. One bite and we knew we’d search out these toasted sesame, garlic, onion and poppy seed bagels at every opportunity.
Decades later, spice companies brilliantly bottled the chunky, aromatic topping from everything bagels into jars. We’ve tried nearly all brands. Flavors vary from very garlicky to a toasted sesame punch. Some taste saltier than others.
It’s easy to customize your own blend. Little flakes of dried minced onion and garlic, along with sesame seeds form the backbone of the mixture. Lately, I’m in favor of using a garlic seasoning salt with parsley for a subtle garlic flavor. When I have them on hand, I use both white and black sesame seeds. You can toast the seeds briefly in a small skillet to bring out more flavor and be reminiscent of a toasted everything bagel….