Berlin-Friendly 'Everything But The Bagel' Seasoning Copycat

Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning is a wand to wave over anything edible and transform it into something bagel-ish. It’s built up a loyal following and been applied in countless ways, most recently mixed into a cream cheese base as an ice cream flavor (for the record: I’m not opposed).

This is a fixed item on our list of things to grab while in the USA, up there with extra-aluminumy deodorant and actually-hot hot sauce.

But with trips home indefinitely delayed, I sought out the ingredients for a Berlin-friendly copycat. It’s not perfect –– comparing directly to the TJ’s stuff, it’s a bit toastier in flavor, and the garlic-onion flavors haven’t permeated the other ingredients quite as thoroughly. It is, however, quite close, and very good.

We enjoy it on avocado toast, eggs, sliced cucumber, and fresh pieces of buttered sourdough. And yes, probably ice cream some point soon.

Here are the 6 ingredients and where you can reliably find them. You’ll need to visit a few different stores (Bio, Asian, Rewe), but it’s worth the effort (and it’s something to do!). It’s all also on Amazon, but I think we can all use the walk and Mr. Bezos won’t be hurting for it.

Poppyseeds / ‘Blaumohn’

Bio Supermarkets
Usually in near flour and baking stuff (not with spices or seeds). Also at non-bio supermarkets but I find it’s less reliable (and perhaps more seasonal for Christmas baked goods).

Dehydrated (or Fried) Garlic / Knoblauch ‘Grob Granuliert’

Asian supermarkets or spice merchants at market (i.e. Markt am Winterfeldplatz)
At Asian markets, look in with Indian ingredients. In my Go Asia it’s in with the ‘big bag’ spices way in the back, not the smaller packets of spices in the front of the store. Fried garlic is of course different from dehydrated, but it still works.

Dehydrated Onion / ‘Zwiebeln Gefriergetrocknet’

Rewe
The “Ja” brand carries this in €0,99 jars. Note that freeze-dried is better than the fried version in Asian markets, but both will do fine — it’ll just be a toastier, sweeter mix if using cooked onions.

White Sesame / ‘Sesam Weiß’

Asian (or Turkish) markets 
At Asian markets, check near the Japanese ingredients –– I found it below the Togarashi at my Go Asia.

Black Sesame / ‘Sesam Schwarz’

Same as the white.

Flaky Salt / ‘Meersalzkristalle’

Bio markets / upscale supermarkets
Any type of FLAKY salt will do. Avoid the coarse pebble-like salt that is more common here (“grobe Körnung”). Maldon Salt is ideal but its availability in stores is spotty.

Assembly

Once you’re loaded up, you just want to make sure that all the ingredients are roughly the same size and combine. 

If you’re using fried versions of garlic and onion (instead of freeze-dried), you may want to toast them in a pan to make sure they’re dry, then blend until broken up (took me 90 seconds of blending after toasting my onions, no toasting needed for fried garlic). Rewe’s freeze dried onion will also need to be broken up slightly, but note it turns to dust almost immediately so it’s best to crush very gently inside a plastic bag.

I think the ideal ratio is 2 parts (by volume) each of poppy, garlic, onion, white sesame, and black sesame; and 1 part salt. You want a lot of poppy and sesame to give it crunch and body, without it being overwhelmingly salty or garlicky.

Time for ice cream!