Matzah brei

Dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origin

Matzah brei ( matse bray, literally 'matzah porridge'; , matzah brei, or מצה מטוגנת, matzah metugenet, literally, "fried matzah"), sometimes spelled matzah brie, matzoh brei, or matzo brei, is a dish of Ashkenazi Jewish origin made from matzah fried with eggs. It is commonly eaten as a breakfast food during the Jewish holiday of Passover. It can be prepared either sweet or savory.

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.

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). 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. The basic ingredients are matzah, eggs, and a "softening" liquid for the matzah, such as hot water or milk. 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. Sweet recipes add honey, cinnamon, cheese, or fruit to the matzah and egg. Matzah brei is commonly eaten as a breakfast food during Passover by Ashkenazi Jews. 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. 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. 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.