A Polish soldier supposedly invented these after helping to free an Austrian city from the Turkish army. What are they, and why is their shape symbolic?

TabbyTom

Bagels. The shape of the bagel is supposed to be based on that of the stirrup. The Polish cavalry under Jan Sobieski, who played a major part in driving the Turks from Vienna in 1683, used stirrups whereas the Turks didn’t, and this may have been an important factor in the defeat of the Turks. http://www.jbuff.com/c072105.htm Mar 10 06, 4:21 PM

peasypod

Oooooh......so close TT... Mar 10 06, 4:27 PM

TabbyTom

Well, if it’s not the bagel, then it’s probably the croissant, also possibly invented when the Turks were driven from Vienna.. I thought of the croissant first, but generally the authorities seem to think the stories about croissants are a bit less trustworthy than those about bagels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna Mar 10 06, 4:59 PM

peasypod

Well done, and yes, the croissant legend is a bit iffy to say the least, hence my last minute insertion of the word 'supposedly'. Mar 11 06, 4:42 PM