In with the matzah and hot cross buns to ring in the holidays
April—time of showers and spring flowers, all manner of leavened breads and the complete absence thereof.
When Passover rolls around on the 12th, many Jewish households will have already cleared their pantries of “chametz” — any food made of grain and water that has been allowed to ferment and “rise.” The term (transliterated from the Hebrew ) comes from the Semitic root meaning “to be sour” or “to ferment.” The Hebrew word for vinegar, “chometz” (), and its derivative, “chumtza” (), meaning “acid,” also trace their origins to this verb.
Out with the chametz and in with the matzah, the unleavened flatbread that’s key to the Passover feast and a handy snack in the week thereafter. With some good butter and a sprinkle of salt, matzah ascends to new heights, so much so that you may not be counting down the days (eight in total) until the holiday ends (at nightfall on the 20th, this year).
The name of this cracker-like holiday mainstay has traditionally been linked to the Hebrew “” (pronounced matsáts), meaning “to suck,” referring to something that has been sucked up or drained out. Another theory attributes “matzah” to the Hebrew root describing something prepared in haste, as the Israelites were said to have fled quickly during their exodus from Egypt, without time to let their breads rise.
Come Fri., April 18, some among us may be preparing a wholly different take on bread — the Good Friday staple known as hot cross buns. Made from leavened dough and sanctified with a sugary cross on top, the buns hold symbolism related to the crucifixion of Jesus and his death. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in the dough recall the spices used to embalm Jesus at his burial, and orange zest calls to mind the bitterness of his crucifixion.
The last rites of Christ are honored in the Czech Republic with mazanec, a loaf baked at Easter and flavored with lemon zest and rum-soaked raisins. The sweet treat is topped off with slivered almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar or otherwise incised with a small cross on top. It’s this final touch that makes holy the mazanec, whose name originates from the Czech “mazat,” meaning “to anoint.”
In Ukraine, Easter celebrations call for paska, a bread decorated with intricate braids, swirls and spirals sculpted in dough. The tabletop showstopper is named for the Greek word for Easter, “pascha,” which is also the origin of the modern-day names for the holiday in Spanish (Pascua), French (Pâques) and Italian (Pasqua), among others. “Pascha” arises from the Semitic “pasha,” meaning “pass over,” as the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ took place during the week of the Jewish Passover.
There are plenty of other yeasty Easter rolls and loaves enjoyed throughout Europe, each with their own blend of spices, nuts and fruits. The Portuguese folar, made with cinnamon, aniseed and a spirit called aguardente, is named after the Portuguese word “fole,” or “bellows,” perhaps for the way it fills with air while baking. In Friuli, in Northern Italy, the neighboring country of Slovenia supplies the root word—”guba,” meaning “wrinkle”—for a celebratory spiral-shaped bread called “gubana.” Using a brioche dough, the gubana is filled with a parade of delectable flavors—raisins, candied orange peel, sweet wine or dark rum, breadcrumbs and up to four kinds of nuts. Slovenia has its own version of the delicacy—the walnut-filled rolled bread called potica, from the verb “poviti,” meaning “to wrap in.”
So in between taxes and gardening, be sure to show your affection for the “bread of affliction” (as matzah is so called) or indulge in some fruit-filled Easter fare. Lucky for us, the teachings of testaments old and new give us plenty to chew on.
Category: Real Estate
