Matzah brei

The Yiddish term מצה ברײַ matse bray literally means 'matzah porridge'; ברײַ bray 'porridge' is descended from a Middle High German word brī of the same meaning."matzo, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, March 2022, www.oed.com/view/Entry/115131. Accessed 20 April 2022.

Gil Marks in his Encyclopedia of Jewish Food asserts that matzah brei as a fried matzah-and-egg dish originated in North America. He notes the publication of a recipe for "Fried Matzos", consisting of soaked whole matzah fried in butter or schmaltz, in The Jewish Manual (London, 1846). However, egg-based recipes began to be published in early Jewish-American cookbooks, including Aunt Babette's (1889 edition) and The Settlement Cook Book (1901).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT809 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food|first=Gil|last=Marks|author-link=Gil Marks|year=2010|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|isbn=978-0544186316|pages=809–810}} These early recipes called for whole matzahs or large, broken pieces of matzah to be dipped in beaten egg and then fried. Marks credits the development of matzah brei – in which crumbled pieces of matzah and beaten egg are combined before frying – to the influence of Eastern European Jewish immigrants to the United States. Marks adds that the introduction of machine-made matzah produced "a slightly thicker and flakier matzah than that made by hand", and is the ideal type of matzah to use for this dish.

File:מצה ברייט בהכנה.JPG

File:Matzah breit.JPG

File:Maza gebrent pan.jpg

There are numerous ways to prepare the dish, as well as flexibility in ingredients.{{cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/what-is-matzah-brei/|title=What is Matzah Brei?|first=Aly|last=Miller|date=25 March 2016|access-date=21 March 2018|work=My Jewish Learning}}{{cite web|title=Matzah Brei - Passover Recipe|url=http://judaism.about.com/od/passoverrecipes/r/matzah_brei.htm|access-date=17 April 2011|archive-date=2 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202095217/http://judaism.about.com/od/passoverrecipes/r/matzah_brei.htm|url-status=dead}} The basic ingredients are matzah, eggs, and a "softening" liquid for the matzah, such as hot water or milk. Typically the dry matzah is broken into pieces, briefly softened in water or milk, mixed with beaten eggs, and fried in a skillet. The frying is done with oil or butter.{{cite web |url=https://forward.com/food/337949/10-shades-of-matzo-brei/|title=10 Shades of Matzo Brei|first=Leah|last=Koenig|date=7 April 2016|access-date=21 March 2018|work=The Forward}} Alternately, the matzah is crumbled and then combined with beaten egg. The matzah and egg mixture may be scrambled, set to cook like a pancake, or fried like a tortilla.

Matzah brei can be made savory or sweet. Savory recipes add salt, pepper, onions, or sauerkraut to the matzah and egg, and the mixture may be fried in schmaltz.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WXosDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA22 |title=Jewish American Food Culture|first1=Jonathan|last1=Deutsch|first2=Rachel D.|last2=Saks|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0803226753|page=22}} Sweet recipes add honey, cinnamon, cheese, or fruit to the matzah and egg. The cooked dish is often topped with any of the following: jam, honey, cinnamon and sugar, syrup, applesauce, sour cream, yogurt, salt and pepper, or garlic powder.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=EtJD6qvyPyoC&pg=PA255 |title= Dictionary of Jewish Terms: A Guide to the Language of Judaism|first=Ronald L.|last=Eisenberg|year=2011|publisher= Taylor Trade Publications|isbn= 978-1589797291|page=255}}

Matzah brei is commonly eaten as a breakfast food during Passover by Ashkenazi Jews.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wu86sK4ZqlgC&pg=PA102 |title=Dictionary of Jewish Words: A JPS Guide|first1=Joyce|last1=Eisenberg|first2=Ellen|last2=Skolnic|year=2010|publisher=Jewish Publication Society|isbn=978-0827609969|page=102}} However, Hasidic Jews do not eat matzah brei or other cooked matzah dishes (such as matzah balls) during Passover due to the stringency against eating gebrochts, matzah that has come into contact with fluids.{{cite web |url= https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/265990/jewish/Gebrokts-Wetted-Matzah.htm|title= 'Gebrokts': Wetted Matzah|year=2018|access-date=21 March 2018|work=Chabad.org}} Those who avoid eating gebrochts will eat matzah brei and other cooked matzah dishes on the eighth day of Passover outside the Land of Israel, as the eighth day is of rabbinic and not Torah origin.{{cite web |url=https://oukosher.org/passover/articles/gebrokts-not-just-a-half-baked-idea/|title=Gebrokts – Not Just a Half-Baked Idea|first=Rabbi Nachum|last=Rabinowitz|year=2019|access-date=April 22, 2019|work=Orthodox Union}} Matzah brei can also be made without soaking the matzah in water, instead soaking it in beaten egg and then scrambling the matzah and eggs in a frying pan.{{cite web |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-one-trick-you-need-for-the-best-matzah-brei/|title=The One Trick You Need for the Best Matzah Brei|first=Shannon|last=Sarna|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=April 22, 2019|work=My Jewish Learning}}

According to Jewish law, one must recite the blessing hamotzi before eating bread. A halakhic question has arisen regarding matzah brei - whether it is considered bread or not. The Chazon Ish ruled that one should recite hamotzi over matzah brei, as with any other form of bread. However, the Aruch HaShulchan and Rabbi Dov Lior hold that the appropriate blessing is mezonot, since the matzah is no longer considered bread due to the change in its form.{{Cite web |last=ההוראה |first=רבני בית |date=2012-04-07 |title=מה מברכים על מצה בריי? |url=https://din.org.il/2012/04/08/%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%99/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=דין {{!}} שאל את הרב |language=he-IL}}{{Cite web |title=ערוך השולחן אורח חיים קסח – ויקיטקסט |url=https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9A_%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%97_%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%A7%D7%A1%D7%97#%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%9F_%D7%A7%D7%A1%D7%97_%D7%A1%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A3_%D7%9C%D7%96 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=he.wikisource.org |language=he}}{{Cite web |title=יהדות, שיעורים, זמנים |url=https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/35687 |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=אתר ישיבה |language=he}} Rabbi Eliezer Melamed noted that there is uncertainty as to whether frying constitutes cooking (bishul) or baking (afiyah). Consequently, he rules that, ideally, matzah brei should be eaten as part of a larger meal that includes regular matzah.{{Cite web |last=האתר |first=מנהל |date=2000-10-06 |title=הלכה יב - לחם מטוגן, קרוטונים, מצות מטוגנות {{!}} פרק ו - חמשת מיני דגן {{!}} פניני הלכה - הרב אליעזר מלמד שליט"א |url=https://ph.yhb.org.il/10-06-12/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=פניני הלכה |language=he-IL}}

• Matzah ball
• Matzoquiles
• Matzah pizza
• Matzo lasagna
• Matzah Eggroll
• Torrijas
• French toast

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Matzah brei}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090414221022/http://www.foodmayhem.com/2009/04/matzoh-brei.php Recipe for Matzah Brei]
• rabbi Eliezer Melamed, [https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/04-08-02/ Becoming Ḥametz Once It Has Been Baked, and the Status of Matza Sheruya (Soaked Matza; “Gebrokts”)] in Peninei Halakha

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Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine

Category: Israeli cuisine

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Category:Passover foods

Category:Matzo

Category:Yiddish words and phrases

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