In the rich history of the Jews, the Passover is probably the most meaningful of all festivals. It commemorates the time when Yahweh swept through Egypt to lay the worst scourge on them so that the Jews may be freed from slavery. As the Jews prayed over a simple meal, the Angel of Death went into each Egyptian household that was not marked with the blood of the sacrificial lamb and took the life of every first-born. This included the son of the Pharaoh himself. So devastating was it that the Pharaoh, who had Egypt suffer through seven plagues before that, finally let the Jews go under the leadership of Moses. Since then, the Jews celebrated this night every year, in memory of their freedom from slavery under the Egyptians.

The central food of this celebration is the “matzos,” a crisp, flat unleavened bread that the Jews baked in haste as they prepared to flee Egypt and its oppression. This is the same unleavened bread in the account of the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles as commemorated by Christians.

Matzo is available all year round, but it is only during the Passover that the Jews are required to eat it. Hence, it should come as no surprise that the matzo has taken on many forms. Since this traditional bread symbolized the struggle of the Jews, the Passover meal starts with the words, “This is the bread of affliction our forefathers ate.”

Ironically, the traditional form of the bread ends there. The Jewish homes have since innovated on this centerpiece dish by using spreads, toppings and add-ons. These innovations reflect the identity characteristics of the family celebrating the event. While the tradition of solemn prayer, candle-lighting and singing are kept, the food makes the whole exercise more festive.

Some dishes take on new forms for the matzo by virtue of fillings that require the matzos to be paired – quite reminiscent of pita pockets. Others put pate, butter, cheese and other spreads, just to give the matzo a new flavor.

Others put a more varied concoction on top of the matzo creating a dish that is quite similar to the thin-crust pizza – cheese, tomato sauce, pepperoni, pepper, and maybe even some pineapple and anchovies.

There are also Matzo pancakes that use the matzo softened and mixed with a variety of ingredients that add more flavor to it. Such ingredients include eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar. Matzos can also be turned into lasagna when mixed with tomatoes, garlic, onions, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce and spices. With a base ingredient as basic as the matzo, the room for innovation is vast and all-encompassing.

Sweet, spicy, salty – whatever the flavor, the matzo innovation in the Jewish homes on Passover reflects that tradition is very much alive in the long history of the Jews. At the same time, it also shows that these traditions can embrace changes and go with the times. In remembering such a tragic yet triumphant event in Jewish culture, the Jews have given “feasting,” “remembering” and “celebration” a whole new meaning.