Matzoh Taste Test

Carolina Santos-Neves



We tried eight varieties of kosher-for-Passover matzoh and found three that are delicious straight out of the box.

Matzoh, the unleavened bread made of water and flour, is consumed during Passover to commemorate the Israelites' hasty departure from Egypt. Before we delve into the eight varieties of matzoh we tasted while preparing our Passover guide, let's start with a quick primer on the subject.

Matzoh varies in shape and style, but all matzoh must, by Jewish law, be prepared in less than 18 minutes from the moment water comes into contact with flour to the point where the fully baked matzoh emerges from the oven. Store-bought matzoh is generally square and machine-made. Shmurah, the traditional handmade matzoh, is round and tends to be available only during Passover. Rabbis must oversee the harvesting and milling of the wheat as well as the baking process to ensure that it is kosher and that no fermentation, or leavening, has taken place. Matzoh sold year-round that is not kosher for Passover may contain eggs, wine, or juice, but during the holiday, and especially at a seder, it is customary to consume matzoh made only of flour and water.

We wanted to find a matzoh that could be served on its own and still appeal to all palates. We tasted four whole-wheat and four plain varieties and found three worthy kosher-for-Passover options that prove matzoh doesn't need any special coating at all-unless you're using it to make Matzoh Crunch.

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