Matzo

(Traditional cracker-like matzo)

As a reformed Jew, I find myself genuinely intrigued by the numerous traditions and practices of Judaism. Since I personally identify myself with this religion, I am taking this opportunity to explore the cultural significance Matzo ( or Matza, Matzoh, Matzah, Matzot, or מַצָּה in Hebrew) has with Jews.

Even though my family is reformed (which means we do observe the main holidays), the only times in which I have had Matzo are during our Passover Seder (in which there are five prohibited grains - wheat, barley, spelt, rye, oats), the morning after our Seder in a Matzo-brei, or whenever my mom makes her infamous Matzo-ball Soup - usually this soup is made when a member of our family is ill.

Matzo bears the same consistency of crackers but is made from flour and water. The dough is punctured and has no time to rise before baking; reminiscent of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. The Jews left so abruptly that they had no time to wait for their bread to rise and fully bake, thereby producing the flat-bread which came to be known as Matzo. Matzo is eaten as both an homage and reminder. It is also known as 'lechem-oni' (poor man's bread) and "bread of affliction"; it reminds us to be humble, appreciative of our freedom, and to remember the pain of servitude.

There are two varieties of Matzo. Ashkenazic and a majority of Sephardic communities prefer the hard, cracker-like form, while Mizrahi, Yemenite, Ethiopian and Hispanic Jews make a softer form which is more like pita or tortilla, and is only hand-made.

As for the nutrition of matzo, one ounce or 28g serving contains 111 calories, which is comparable to rye bread with 109 calories per the same serving size.

To make Matzo-ball Soup, matzo is ground into crumbs called matzo meal, which is used to make the balls. The traditional recipe calls for eggs, fat, liquid, salt and pepper, but there are numerous substitions. The fat is generally "schmaltz" (chicken fat), but we replace the flavor with vegetable oil. The balls are worked by hand and dropped into a pot of boiling salty water (chicken soup works as well). The balls expand within 20 minutes and are usually the size of tennis balls. My family usually incorporates the Matzo balls into vegetable broth.

(typical bowl of Matzo Ball Soup)

Luckily, this is a dish that is not reserved for holidays or special occasions. I have grown so used to being treated to it when I am sick that the aroma actually elevates my mood, regardless of the circumstance. It is definitely a wellness food. Since there are plenty of commercial varieties of Matzo (such as Manischewitz, which makes a good brand of plain, unsalted matzo) available in pretty much any supermarket. Egg matzo or any flavored variety is difficult to cook with, so you'll be hard-pressed to find too many of those. Ironically, egg matzo is not even made with eggs - the misnomer refers to the fact that it is made with a liquid other than water, such as fruit juice - not to be confused with my family's Matzo-brei which is essentially an omelet with sugar, eggs, and matzo.

My family only makes Matzo-brei the morning following our Passover Seder, but it is a fairly common Jewish dish, especially popularized as a Passover brunch dish. Hasidic Jews (European influenced) do not eat this dish for the first seven days of Passover since the Matza will inevitably come in contact with water while making this dish, causing mild-leavening, which is forbidden during the holiday.

(As unappetizing as this may seem, it's actually very good - mine is made with an Egg-Replacer since I'm a vegetarian, but the consistency is the same. Mmm, so good!)

This is a basic Matzo-brei recipe from www.allrecipe.com:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 matzo cracker
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Take the matzo and break into small pieces into a bowl. Cover with hot water for a minute. Then squeeze out the water.
2. In a small bowl, beat one egg with salt and pepper to taste and add to matzo. Mix well.
3. Heat frying pan with a little oil. Pour mixture into the pan. Brown one side and turn over.

The only other tradition my family keeps in regards to Matza is hiding the "afikoman" - a piece of matzot that is the final food eaten at a Passover Seder. It is hidden for the children of the family (or if it's part of a synagogue ceremony, all the children attending are encouraged to part-take in the hunt for the afikoman) to find. In turn, the finder is rewarded with money ora prize, but usually it's just gelt - which are chocolate imitations of gold-coins. This part of the ceremony usually makes the night long and entertaining as families are encouraged to help their children, creating an engaging and memorable experience each year.