Tradition! Ancient Handmade Shmura Matzo – Unleavened Bread – Is Back In Style

Jewish consumers who observe Passover have tried different variations of matzo (or matza), the unleavened bread that Israelites ate after they escaped the clutches of Egypt’s pharaoh. The departure was so hurried, the Bible states, that there was no time for bread to rise. In modern times Jews have tried matzo made with egg, whole wheat, rye; onion-flavored, chocolate-covered and many other kinds. But now the traditional, basic version – the handmade shmura matzo eaten by the strictly observant – is back in vogue. Estimates for this year indicate that a million pounds of the old-fashioned round matzo will be produced in the U.S. A wholesaler in New York City says, "It's the closest you'll get to what our ancestors had when they came out of Egypt."