Flour and water. How complicated could a matzah be? Plenty.
Many of us grew up crunching through boxes of square wheat flour matzahs. Nowadays, supermarket shelves are laden with varieties that claim to cater to more discerning palates as well as to individuals who cannot tolerate the standard fare – as well as the round, hand-made shmurah matzahs. Today, a Passover matzah primer.
The laws of Passover are particularly complex. If you plan to deviate from your usual practice, please consult your local rabbi and if necessary, your doctor.
It all started in Exodus where we are commanded that “From the evening of the 14th day of the first month until the evening of the 21st day, you are to eat matzah.” (Exodus 12:18) Sounds simple? Read on.
(2) But what if I can’t stomach wheat flour?
For many years, wheat was virtually the only flour used in commercial matzahs. However, the Torah also allows matzahs made from barley, rye, oats and spelt. This can be a relief for people who are not able to digest wheat gluten but find oats and spelt easier to deal with.
Take care that there are gluten-free “matzo-style squares” being marketed which may be kosher for Passover but do not fulfil the requirements of the seder. But just because you can’t stomach gluten doesn’t mean you have to be without matzah balls. Here’s a recipe that substitutes matzah meal with almond meal and potato starch.
Much has been written about the symbolic meaning of matzah and its place in the formation of the Jewish people. “The characteristic of leavened dough (chametz) is that it rises and swells, symbolizing pride and boastfulness. A matzah, on the other hand, is thin and flat, suggesting meekness and humility. Passover teaches us that chametz – arrogance – is the very antithesis of the ideal of Torah.”
Tied into the issue of humility, Jews are required to eat plain flour and water matzahs in order to fulfil the mitzvah on seder nights. But what about the rest of the holiday? There are different rules for Sephardim (less restrictive) and for Ashkenazi Jews (more restrictive.) Ashkenazim may not eat them except for the elderly, infirm, children or those who cannot digest plain matzah.
(4) How much do I have to eat?
On the seder night, the minimum amount is based on the volume equivalent to that of an olive, known as a “kezayit.” A kezayit is roughly two-thirds of a square matzah, or one half of the handmade round matzah.
If that sounds like more than you want to eat, you may be in luck. Researchers from Bar-Ilan University’s archeological botanics lab have been analyzing ancient olives. They maintain that the ancient Syrian and Nabali strains were smaller than today’s olives. If rabbinically endorsed, this would be good news for those who would like to eat less unleavened bread at the seder.
(5) Matzah meal, matzah farfel – Whatzah difference?
Not much. It’s all in the grinding. And you can do it yourself:
• Maztah farfel: Simply break the matzah into small pieces by hand, approximately ¼-in. chunks.
• Matzah meal: Place matzahs in a large freezer bag. Remove air, leaving a small opening in the bag to prevent the bag from breaking. Using a heavy rolling pin, roll over the matzah in the bag until it resembles fine crumbs.
• Cake meal: Break matzah into farfel-size pieces. Place pieces into grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Matzah isn't very high in fibre. A single one-ounce plain matzah has about one gram of dietary fibre, little fat and no cholesterol or sugar – and 120 to 130 calories. Whole wheat matzahs have about 100 calories and three grams of dietary fibre.
Even better, the folks at U.S. News and World Report advise you to “be on the lookout for the best of the bunch, called ‘light high-fibre,’ which contains only 78 calories, 3.2 grams of protein and a whopping 6.9 grams of fibre per board. That's sure to create a moving experience this holiday.”
(7) Passover’s over. I’ve got boxes and boxes left, what now?
• Save them for next year. According to Manischewitz, unopened boxes of matzah have a shelf life of up to 2 ½ years. Stale matzah can be re-crisped in a 250-degree oven for about five minutes.
• Or break a record now. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest matzah ball tipped the scales at 267 pounds measuring 29.2 inches in diameter and was made by Noah’s Ark Original Deli in New York on Aug. 6, 2009. It was rivalled a year later by a Tucson monster ball weighing in at 488 pounds. Alas, the latter did not have complete documentation and was passed over by Guinness.
(8) Are there any good matzah jokes?
A Jewish man took his Pesach lunch to eat outside in the park. He sat down on a bench and began eating. A little while later a blind man came by and sat down next to him. Feeling neighbourly, the Jewish man passed a sheet of matzah to the blind man. The blind man ran his fingers over the matzah for a few minutes, looked puzzled, and finally exclaimed, “Who wrote this nonsense?”