Key Ingredient

Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga

Matzo

April 17 marks the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday, which runs eight days. As with many cultural celebrations, food plays an active role in the holiday and is interwoven in the many rituals.

Matzo is one of those essential ingredients comparable to mochi for the Japanese at New Year's.

The basics: Matzo (MAHT-suh), is a thin, cracker-like unleavened bread. It represents the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. In their haste to leave, there was no time to allow bread to rise, thus, a kind of flat bread was what they survived on through their desert journey. The eating of matzo is meant to remember the sacrifices made by these Jewish ancestors.

A strict set of dietary guidelines is observed during Passover. For eight days, no bread or form of leavened food made from wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt that isn't cooked within 18 minutes after contact with water is allowed.

Matzo is made from wheat flour, but the flour is closely monitored from growth to milling to storage so that it has no contact with moisture. The certified Passover flour comes in contact with water only at the time of making matzo. Matzo today is also made with flavorings such as onion.

Selecting: Matzo is sold in boxes, the type most available locally being the 100-year-old Manischewitz Co. brand with its signature orange boxes. Look for special displays now in supermarkets of a variety of Passover ingredients.

Storing: Matzo crackers and meal can be kept for quite some time so long as they aren't exposed to moisture. Make sure to seal in an airtight container and keep in a cool and dry area.

Use: Matzo can be eaten as a cracker or ground into a meal for use in a variety of dishes. Matzo balls are probably the most common use. Recipes for these dumplings vary greatly, but they are usually boiled and consumed in chicken soup. Matzo meal also is used in pancakes, dessert cakes or as breading.

Where to buy: Some supermarkets carry a small selection of staple Jewish ingredients year-round, but generally matzo, both cracker and meal, is available only for a few weeks before Passover. The crackers already are scarce. Prices range from $3 to $5 a box, depending on variety and amount. Matzo ball soup also is in stock in many stores.

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga is
a free-lance food writer. Contact her
online through features@starbulletin.com