They look a lot like regular crackers and taste like unsalted ones, come in distinctive packaging, are are usually found in the “ethnic/international” section of your local grocery store. For many non-Jews, especially those who are not in physical proximity to a local Jewish community, today’s word is rather unfamiliar. With the holiday of Passover starting last Friday (April 22), perhaps it is only fitting that, today, we look at one of the most widely-know of Jewish foods, matzo.
Simply put, matzo is a type of flatbread, meaning that it is made without a leavening agent, such as air, yeast, baking soda, etc. The word itself derives jointly from the Yiddish matse as well as from the Hebrew maṣṣāh, both of which translate to ‘unleavened bread.’
Even the first known use of the word in English in 1650, via Edmund Chilmead’s translation from Italian of The History of the Rites of the Jews comments of the nature of the bread, stating: “A quantity of unleavened bread, which they call..Matzo.” While matzo comes in many forms, now including forms using alternative and gluten-free flours as well as in onion, poppyseed, and other flavours, it is only the plain form, made using only flour from the 5 acceptable grains- wheat, barley, rye, oat, or spelt – and water, that is associated with Passover.
Symbolism and significance of matzo
As with many Jewish customs, the symbolism and significance of matzo during Passover is multi-layered. As we all know, Passover marks the Jewish exodus from Egypt, which happened with such haste that, as stated in Exodus 12:39: “They baked the dough that they had taken out of Egypt as unleavened cakes, for it had not leavened, for they were driven out of Egypt, and they could not tarry, and also, they had not made provisions for themselves;” therefore, it is eaten as a remembrance.
On another level, matzo is also considered lechem oni, or ‘poor man’s bread,’ so it is a reminder to always remain humble and remember what life in bondage was like. It has also been suggested that matzo, when consumed during Passover, is meant to represent offering that were made at the Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction.
Among its religious significance, matzo is now stretching beyond its traditional Jewish roots. As people are becoming more conscious of the food they consume, kosher foods, such as matzo, are growing in popularity and adapting to meet changing tastes. For example, matzo meal and cake meal can be used as flour replacements or when seeking a denser texture in baked goods, and modern experimentation has also led to creations like matzah pizza, which is, essentially, covering a piece of matzo with cheese and pizza sauce.
So, while matzo, may be an unfamiliar food to many and may be most commonly associated with Passover, it definitely deserves some consideration the next time you visit the grocery store.
