Modern-day Isrealites: Go forth and eat Matzolah

When Moses bid the Isrealites to make bread in haste for their escape from bondage, he could not have imagined the burden he cast upon future bakers and homemakers. On the eve on Passover, we once again struggle with the unwritten fifth question: What can I make without leavened wheat that anyone in their right mind will want to eat?

Many have stepped up to the challenge, and many have failed. But lo, this year, the wise judges at the 2012 Kosherfest competition crowned Maple Nut Matzolah as the Best New Kosher for Passover Product. It is marketed by Atlanta-based Foodman LLC, which humorously dubs the “miraculously nutritious” product “The Trail Mix of the Exodus.” The New York Times similarly classified it as “observant.”

While new to the marketplace, Matzolah earns epic street cred through its association with Streit’s, the oldest kosher company still making matzo in its original New York factory. Lightly sweet and addictively crunchy, Matzolah’s ingredients also include Vermont maple syrup, California raisins, almonds, walnuts, pecans and coconut.

While currently kosher for Passover, Maztolah will be available year-round. It is an appealling nosh by the handful and a welcome topping for ice cream. Add some berries and yogurt for a well-balanced, high-fiber breakfast.

Matzolah comes packaged in the familiar cardboard tins that typically convey other Pesach-approved products, such as macaroons, to grocery store shelves. It is available in North Raleigh for $3.99 per 10-ounce package at Harris Teeter; Whole Foods offers a proprietary blend that uses whole wheat matzo for $5.39.