Matzah

Matzah is an unleavened flatbread made only from flour and water, central to Jewish cuisine. It is the defining food of Passover, when leavened bread is forbidden.

History

The origins of matzah lie in the biblical account. The Torah commands the Israelites to eat unleavened bread during the seven-day festival that commemorates the departure from Egypt, and the Book of Exodus sets the period of abstention from leavened bread between the evening of the 14th of Nisan and the 21st of that month. According to the traditional account, the Israelites left in such haste that their dough had no time to rise, and the bread baked from it became matzah. The Bible also mentions unleavened bread served to the two messengers who came to Sodom, suggesting the bread was known long before the festival was established.

Over time its preparation became strictly regulated. Jewish law permits only five cereals for the flour: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oat. The dough is considered to begin leavening eighteen minutes after it gets wet, so baking must be swift. Until the late eighteenth century matzah was thick and soft, but thinner, crisper versions gained favour in Europe because they kept longer. The first matzah-making machine was invented in France in 1839, and mass-produced matzah then spread across Europe and North America.

Culture

Matzah is far more than a festive bread. At the seder, the ceremonial Passover meal, it is broken and shared, and one piece, the afikoman, is set aside to be eaten at the end of the meal. Its plainness is read as a symbol of humility and of the memory of servitude, and also of social equality, since everyone eats the same food during the celebration.

There are two main traditions. Ashkenazi matzah, common in the United States and Argentina, is thin and crisp, resembling a cracker. Sephardi communities, as well as Yemenite and Iraqi Jews, use soft versions similar to pita or tortilla, today usually made by hand. Shmura matzah, baked by hand and about thirty centimetres across, is the most prized and the most expensive, and it is usually found only around Passover. Ground matzah is also used to make matzah balls, the main ingredient of the traditional soup.