Matzo is essentially a flat bread with a cracker-like crunch commonly used in Jewish cooking. It is unleavened bread made of flour and water. During the Jewish holiday of Passover, it is required to substitute bread with matzo.
The eating of matzo is part of the ceremony to commemorate the Israelites exodus from Egypt. As the narrative goes, the Jewish people were in such a hurry to flee their Egyptian captors they hadn’t the time to allow their bread to rise. For this reason, matzo has come to symbolize freedom from slavery and redemption.
Also known as “poor man’s bread”, matzo serves as a reminder to remain humble. Leavened bread, on the other hand, is known as the “bread of the Pharisees”, and symbolizes pride (imagine puffing out one’s chest).
Two Types, Two Textures
The most common matzo found in the United States is the large hard cracker-like matzo. However, a soft matzo resembling pita is found in Mizrahi, Yemenite, Ethiopian, Latin, and Hispanic Sephardic Jewish communities. Though these two types of matzo are dissimilar in texture, they share the same religious supervisions.
There are some differences between Hasidic requirements and non-Hasidic Jewish observances of matzo supervisions. Many Hasidic Jews believe that it is unacceptable to eat machine-made matzo, while non-Hasidic Jews follow the custom that machine-made matzo is not only up to standard, but sometimes even preferable to hand-made matzo.
While matzo clearly has deep cultural and religious significance to the Jewish people, people of all faiths and backgrounds have enjoyed recipes that use the flatbread, from matzo ball soup to a simple snack of matzo and butter.
This recipe for Fried Matzo is simple to make and resembles French toast, with one catch- the bread is unleavened!
Fried Matzo
- Serves 2 generous helpings
- What you’ll need:
- 6 pieces of matzo
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Large bowl
- Large frying pan (cast iron if available)
- salt
Preparation:
- Run warm water over each piece of matzo to dampen
- Pour eggs (beaten) over top the matzo and mix in bowl- the matzo will break up into pieces- that’s OK!
- Melt butter in pan and fry matzo until golden brown on both sides
- Add salt as needed (you may want to add cinnamon but it’s not necessary)
Serve!
Note: Some might enjoy this dish sweetened with a bit of honey or sugar. Fried Matzo is also sometimes referred to as Matzo Brei. It is commonly prepared for breakfast during Passover, but matzo is available year round and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
 |
