Early look: Chinese bagels (贝果) (Patreon)

Bit of a fun one this time. You see, one of the ‘trendiest’ baked goods in China these days is… the bagel. The popularity began ramping up during the COVID years, and as of late, they’ve firmly planted themselves in the Chinese bakery scene.

They’re stuffed. They’re technicolor. They’re… squishy.

In the past, among some expats circles in China, we’d dismissively refer to these as ‘Chagels’ (after all, if you’re from North America - and a little homesick - you’re not really in the market for a squishy bagel stuffed with shrimp, cheese, and broccoli). But over the years, as the bagel moved from niche to mainstream, I began to develop an appreciation for 'the chagel'.

They're delicious in their own right, and who can say no to a red braise pork stuffed bagel?