Supposedly it’s the water supply that gives it its secret, almost mythical properties. We’re talking about the soft yet mineral rich water which is supposedly the secret to authentic New York crispy, chewy, pillowy goodness called a bagel. So is it an urban legend or is there something really in the water? Two years ago, after the legend taking on a life of its own, America’s Test Kitchen set out to find out.

You can read all about the tests on PH levels and mineral water content and imported waters and blind taste tests in the Huffington Post, or you can just skip to the conclusion right here. Yeah, the water myth is just that. And despite being known as a New York bagel, its actual origins are in the shtetls of Poland. The first known mention of the bagel, was in Jewish community ordinances in Krakow, back in 1610.

So if it isn’t the New York water, what else is it? What it really has to do with is good old fashioned patience and attention to detail. The appreciation of bagel making as a craft, not a cash cow. It’s what those bakers in the old-time shtetl excelled at, and those who’ve had the recipes and legacies passed down intact, know that there are no shortcuts when it comes to turning out the perfect bagel.

But although New York bagels are considered the authentic version and gold standard of bagels, there are many other type of bagels which are more widely sold and consumed. Thin crusted yet identically glossy on the outside and bread like on the inside, many bagels share very little with their New York cousins other than their characteristic shape and ubiquitous hole of course. Some actually prefer it that way. Others consider everything that isn’t actually proofed, boiled, and baked complete sacrilege.

So how do you like your bagels? Crispy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside; Soft on the outside, breadlike on the inside? What’s your take? Please tell us