hametz
Passover dietary prohibition
Hametz is leavened food forbidden during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
The prohibition commemorates the Israelites' hasty exodus from Egypt, when there was no time to let bread rise.
Before Passover, observant Jews remove all hametz from their homes—bread, pasta, beer, anything made with fermented grain.
The search for hidden hametz is a ritual unto itself.
Fermenting fungus
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- sourdoughWild-yeast bread starter
- riseMove to higher position
- doughFlour-liquid mixture for baking
proofing · gluten · flour · wheat · barley · oats · rye · spelt
Looking to find
- sweepingExtensive and far-reaching
- scrubbingCleaning by rubbing hard
- burningCombustion in progress
- purificationRemoval of contaminants
ritual · kashering · blowtorch · feather · candle · spoon · kitchen · crumbs
Unleavened ritual flatbread
Officially not permitted
- banOfficial restriction on something
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- restrictionLimit on action
- non-kosherViolating Jewish dietary rules
off-limits · avoidance · proscription · violation · transgression · nullification · possession · ownership
yeast
Fermenting fungus
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- sourdoughWild-yeast bread starter
- riseMove to higher position
dough · proofing · gluten · flour · wheat · barley · oats · rye · spelt · bread
searching
Looking to find
purification · ritual · kashering · blowtorch · feather · candle · spoon · kitchen · crumbs · corners
matzah
Unleavened ritual flatbread
shankbone · exodus · pharaoh · plagues · freedom · slavery · liberation
prohibited
Officially not permitted
- banOfficial restriction on something
- tabooCultural or social prohibition
- restrictionLimit on action
non-kosher · off-limits · avoidance · proscription · violation · transgression · nullification · possession · ownership · benefit