You can stick your hole

If you are still perched on the edge of your seat wondering what the hole in the middle of a bagel is for (Review, DW 9 July), then read on.

One reader felt it was the effect of rolling the dough into a tube shape and then joining the ends to create a ring. Surely this would produce some sort of knotty join, which is clearly not in evidence.

But, the most rational answer was provided by food technology consultant John Wallace, who tells us that in the Middle East, bagels are sold in the street from a stick. They can also be stored in the home up away from rats, mice, children and other vermin, according to the expert.