Matzo

Matzo, also spelled matzah, is a flat, unleavened bread central to the Jewish festival of Passover. It is traditionally made from two ingredients: flour and water, sometimes with a small amount of salt. The dough is prepared and baked rapidly to prevent any rise or fermentation; customary practice keeps the time from water contact to baking to about 18 minutes.

During Passover, matzo replaces leavened bread and is eaten at the Seder as well as throughout the festival. Observance varies by tradition: in Israel the holiday lasts seven days, while in the diaspora it lasts eight. Matzo comes in several forms, including plain flat matzo, egg matzo, matzo meal (ground flour), and matzo farfel (crumbs). A stricter form, shmura matzo, is made from grain guarded from harvest to grinding to minimize any chance of leavening.

Historically, matzo is connected to the biblical commandment to eat unleavened bread during the Exodus from Egypt. Rabbinic texts describe regulatory requirements intended to prevent leavening, and matzo has long been produced in standardized varieties for Passover use. Today it remains a symbol of both remembrance and liberation in Jewish culture and is widely available under kosher supervision for Passover. It contains gluten and is not suitable for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease; consumers often seek kosher-for-Passover certification and, where relevant, measures to avoid cross-contamination.