According to the Biblical story of Passover, in their escape from Egypt, the Jews did not have time to allow bread to rise, and instead had to settle for sun-cooked crackers called matzo. Now, when we, as modern-day Jews, celebrate Passover, we, too, abstain from leavened bread products. In preparation for the holiday, we purge our pantries of anything that is not kosher for Passover, eating what we can and donating the rest. During Passover, we are called to eat creatively, preparing only what could theoretically be cooked under the hot desert sun.
There are many creative ways to enjoy matzo, such as matzo pizza, matzo with schmear, and matzo brei. Matzo brei is a fried breakfast dish, with brei meaning to scorch or sear in Yiddish.
There are two ways of making matzo brei: scrambled or whole, as a pancake. When scrambled, it essentially operates as scrambled eggs with bits of matzo stirred in. When whole, it becomes an unleavened variation on French toast. In my family, while the pancake versus scrambled debate can get pretty heated, the primary contention is over whether matzo brei should be served sweet, salty, or both. Personally, I like my matzo brei scrambled with salt, brown sugar, and a bit of maple syrup on the side — the way my great-aunt Bonnie makes it. Others may call for some variation on that mixture, such as with salt alone or maple syrup alone.
However it’s prepared, there is no food I’d rather eat on Passover, and Passover is my favorite holiday (primarily because celebrating Passover entails spending time with family and consuming large amounts of food together). Ever since I was old enough to eat it, matzo brei has held a special place in my heart; my extended family knows of this passion, and various family members — typically the matriarchs, such as my mom, my great-aunt Bonnie, and my grandmother — will offer to make a batch when I’m around. Everyone makes it differently, and though I insist that scrambled and slightly sweet/slightly salty is the ultimate mode of preparation, sharing a plate of matzo brei made especially for you is one of the crucial flavors of Passover — however it is made.
It truly does not feel like Passover until I’ve had a plate of matzo brei for breakfast or brunch, enjoyed with family at the dining room table alongside coffee and a New York Times crossword puzzle. Typically, I’ll sleep over at my grandparents’ house the night before a seder and wake up the next morning, prepare matzo brei with my family, and talk about our plans for seder set-up at the table.
I have tried to make matzo brei at other times in the year, but it never tastes as good as it does in that ritual moment. During the eight days we keep kosher for Passover, matzo is the closest thing to bread we can eat. Matzo brei reminds our bread-deprived bodies of pancakes and French toast, all at once.
Though, in my family, it is exclusively made by heart, by feel, and by trial-and-error, my mother and I worked together to create a recipe for the ultimate matzo brei:
Yield: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 box of matzo
1 egg/person sharing the dish
~1/2 cup milk
~1 tbsp margarine
~1 tsp salt
~2 tsp brown sugar
A drizzle of maple syrup
Preparation:
1. Take a half a box of matzo and, using your hands, crumble it into a bowl. Soak it in water for two minutes.
2. Drain out the water and mix in two to four eggs (one per person).
3. Add salt.
4. Melt margarine in a pan over medium heat.
5. Add matzo-egg-salt mixture to preheated pan and cook, as you would scrambled eggs. Mix in milk while cooking.
6. Remove from heat and serve. Allow those sharing the dish to add salt, sugar, and/or maple syrup to taste. Enjoy!
Bibliography
Prichep, Deena. “Wake up and Smell the Matzo: A Passover Breakfast Tradition.” NPR. NPR,
April 10, 2017.
Alexa Stevens is an Oberlin College fourth-year student who loves food — especially breakfast food — and journalism — especially when it’s about food. Alexa’s non-food writing has been featured in Teen Vogue, Kidzworld, The Oberlin Review, The Easy Reader, and more.
