When was matzo first used and why?

Answer 1

The first mention of matzo is in the story of the Old Testament, during the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:39). With Pharoah and his army in pursuit the Israelites didn't have enough time to let their bread rise, so they rushed out with flat, unleavened bread. In addition, it is referred to elsewhere as "poor man's bread," or a reminder of how they ate in Egypt; this implies that it was in fact part of a slave diet as well.

There are many estimates as to the date of the Exodus; the most popular is around 1440 B.C.

Correction: The first mention is in Genesis 19:3. Lot baked matzoh for his guests, the angels, who came to rescue his family from Sodom. Matzoh was a flat bread baked without leavening and can be baked very quickly since it doesn't need time to rise.

Answer 2

Matzah is typically served when the gefilte fish is brought out. They are normally served and eaten together. Of course, this depends on how religious your family is. Some families do it this way, others don't. It's all a matter of lifesytle.

Hope that helps! xD

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Outside of eating matzoh during the seder service, matzoh is eaten as a bread substitute, there's no specific time to eat it. Most people just keep a pile of matzoh on the table during their meals.

Answer 3

A Matzo is used most of time during the Passover meal, and then throughout Passover. It is not a substitute for bread, but a symbol to remind us of the haste of exit from Egypt as told in Exodus. In haste, bread does not have the time to rise, which is why matzo is flat.

Matzo can be used any time of the year, but is mostly used during Passover.

Answer 4

Matzos are eaten during the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), and also are at the center of the Seder meal/s that occur at the start of the festival.

During the Seder they are eaten to commemorate the Jewish people's hurried exodus from Egypt and are eaten alone, and then in a sandwich with charoset (a sweet paste of nuts and wine) and maror (bitter herbs).

During the rest of Passover, Mazos are eaten as a replacement for bread which is not permitted. Some Jews will also eat matzos crumbled into soup, or into cofffee as a replacement for breakfast cereal.

During the rest of the year, mazos are a crispy cracker that go very well with chopped liver.

Answer 5

It is used in cooking as a replacement for breadcrumbs. The traditional matzoh ball (a dumpling) is made from matzoh meal.

Answer 6

You're supposed to eat matzoh during Passover. Some people eat it year round though.