Passover’s gone, but the matzo isn’t

c. 2008 Religion News Service (UNDATED) It’s not just a case of post-holidays blahs. American Jews are facing another perennial challenge this week: what to do with all the leftover matzo that nobody ate. Matzo is a flat baked cracker best known for its brittle consistency and bland taste. Since all bread products are off-limits […]

c. 2008 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) It’s not just a case of post-holidays blahs. American Jews are facing another perennial challenge this week: what to do with all the leftover matzo that nobody ate.

Matzo is a flat baked cracker best known for its brittle consistency and bland taste. Since all bread products are off-limits during Passover, matzo _ made with just flour and water _ becomes the main ingredient in nearly every meal: matzo ball soup, garnishing for soups and salads, bookends for a sandwich, or covered with sauce and cheese for a “matzo pizza.”


Americans bought more than 8 million pounds of matzo in 2006, according to the most recent figures from the R.A.B. Food Group, which owns the matzo giant, Manischewitz.

But once the holiday ended Sunday night (April 27), the last thing most observant Jews wanted to do was eat more matzo. So what to do with it all the rest? Here’s some ideas:

1. Get functional

A viral video called “20 Things To Do With Matzo” has some creative suggestions: make a matzo license plate for your car, make a picture frame, or use it to line the hamster cage (see it at http://www.matzahsong.com).

The matzo video was shot earlier this year by New York filmmaker William Levin and paid for by Streit’s Matzah, which saw it as a clever marketing ploy. The film made its way around the Internet and was even featured on Yahoo! Video. Other ideas from the film: “Insulate, decorate, exfoliate.”

2. Get artsy

Last year, a major matzo company teamed up with New York University to sponsor a matzo art contest. The New York Sun documented the contest by the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life, which included dioramas, and an all-matzo rendering of Jerusalem’s Western Wall. NYU Sophomore James Donovan won first place for his scale matzo model of Washington Square Arch.

3. Get thee to a soup kitchen

This year, the NYU Bronfman Center decided not to hold its art contest, but instead donated excess matzo to City Harvest, a “food rescue” agency that collects and redistributes leftover food. More than 50 pounds of matzo were donated, according to Melanie Meadows, a Bronfman spokeswoman.

“Usually it just sits round and nobody uses it, so we give it away,” she said.


4. Get natural

Zookeepers at Safari Zoo near the Israeli city of Tel Aviv declared they were going to remove leavened products from the diets of all their animals during the eight days of Passover. The result? Some remarkable photos of adorable orangutans climbing ropes with pieces of matzo in their mouths.

5. Get hungry

With competitive eating events on the rise, a matzo ball eating contest was inevitable. This year, Texas raised the ante and played host to the World Matzah Ball Eating Championship in Houston. Sponsored by a Jewish deli, the event was won by Joey Chestnut, who ate an incredible 78 matzo balls in eight minutes.

6. Get cooking

Matzo tends to keep a while _ up to two-and-a-half years, according to Manischewitz _ so some people even store their unopened kosher for Passover products in the closet for next year’s Passover. So there’s no reason you can’t integrate some matzo into some post-Passover dishes. Check out a recipe for caramel matzo crunch at Epicurious.com, one for Matzo kugel on the Food Network or Matzo French toast at chowhound.com.

KRE DS END RUBIN550 words

A photo of the hamster cage lined with matzo is available via https://religionnews.com.

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