Pumpernickel Bagels in Decline

Things took an interesting turn on Thursday’s episode of Live with Kelly and Mark when Kelly Ripa showcased a pumpernickel bagel, which has been described as “becoming an endangered species.”

In her opening remarks, Ripa expressed a mix of humor and disappointment about the bagel’s status, noting that society seems to have let the pumpernickel bagel fade into obscurity. She referenced an article discussing its decline.

With a laugh, Ripa suggested that people simply lack interest in darker, more flavorful bagels. “As a wife and a mother, I admit I’ve failed. I never offered you pumpernickel,” she remarked to her co-host, Mark Consuelos.

In an effort to remedy this, Ripa encouraged Consuelos to sample a pumpernickel bagel during the show.

Consuelos admitted, “I don’t know if I’ve ever had pumpernickel.”

“It really does overshadow everything else,” Ripa warned him.

“You can’t even enjoy peanut butter and jelly on pumpernickel,” she added. “You just taste the pumpernickel.”

After dipping the bagel in cream cheese, Consuelos took a bite and didn’t hold back his opinion. “There’s a reason they’re going extinct,” he said.

Michael Gelman, the show’s executive producer, described pumpernickel bagels as an “acquired taste,” but Consuelos disagreed vehemently. “No, tripe is an acquired taste. This is like eating something when you have nothing else left,” he argued. “No, it’s done. It’s over.”

Ripa mentioned that a lot of people are concerned about the appearance of food, noting that a pumpernickel bagel doesn’t photograph well. “If you’re trying to post it on Instagram, it just doesn’t look appealing,” she said.

Consuelos added, “Exactly. If you zoom in on this, it kind of looks like something you might find on the road.”

Ripa reiterated that the bagel’s flavor is “too intense for most sandwiches,” while Consuelos was given water to wash down the taste.

“Are you okay?” Ripa asked him, to which he replied, “Yeah, I just need to get the taste out of my mouth.”

Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for local listings.