Passover Kryptonite: The Bitter Herbs
The foods on the Seder plate sensually and memorably help fulfill the purpose of Passover.
That purpose of the holiday is to retell — and symbolically relive — the slavery and then freedom of the historic Israelites.
More than any other food during the Seder, the bitter herb symbolizes the bitterness of slavery.
The Traditional Practice
Eating bitter herbs (maror in Hebrew) is a 5,000 year old practice described in the Bible as the commandment to eat “unleavened bread and bitter herbs” (Numbers 9:11).
Most Seder texts (haggadot in Hebrew) provide the instruction to eat bitter herbs in combination with charoset, the Hebrew word for the fruit & nut paste on the Seder plate, which represents the clay used by the slaves to make bricks.
What are “bitter herbs”? There is no definition in the Bible.
In the Talmud, acceptable bitter herbs are listed as a certain type of lettuce (understood today to mean romaine, due to its bitter after-taste), endive, chervil (a type of parsley), and other produce of that time. (Pesachim 2:6 and Pesachim 39a).
An herb generally means an edible leaf. However, the food most commonly used for bitter herbs today is a root vegetable: horseradish. Notably, the common practice of choosing the horseradish root — instead of the leaf — packs a denser, more concentrated taste of bitterness.
Seder participants usually eat either a raw chunk of the horseradish root (peeled and cleaned) or horseradish prepared as a condiment with vinegar. Either way, horseradish is a meant to be a serious hit of bitter.
Some however make bitter herbs into a special salad and pleasing part of the meal, adding mint, scallions, and more: The New York Times, Bitter Herbs Salad Recipe.
But here’s the thing…If the bitter herb doesn’t cause you to wince or shed a tear, then you haven’t fulfilled the purpose of eating it, to symbolically remember our people’s slavery.
Bottom line, here’s the concept of how to eat “bitter herbs” at the Seder:
If we’re gonna do bitter, let’s go all the way.
This raises the question: What if you like horseradish?
If you enjoy horseradish…
At every Seder table, there’s always someone why says, “I like horseradish. Give me a lot!”
Is this just boasting? Definitely for some. (You know who you are :-).
But for others…they like horseradish as a condiment, even during the Passover meal and throughout the year:
- famously with gefilte fish
- paired with prime rib
- in Bloody Mary mix
- as a sandwich spread with mayo.
Even the sushi condiment wasabi is often made using horseradish when wasabi isn’t available. The pleasure of eating the bitter wasabi is even extolled in the famous Budweiser ad that created the meme “wa-sa-beeee”.
If horseradish doesn’t make you wince, or…
If you take a big bite and feel like shouting wa-sa-beee, then horseradish may not your best choice at the Passover table!
What’s Your Kryptonite?
If horseradish gives your pleasure, consider choosing a different food that tastes bitter to you, that makes your wince or tear-up, even just briefly. You’ll then be more connected to the purpose and meaning of Seder.
Here are some ideas for a food that may be bitter to you:
- mustard greens, kale, dandelion greens, endive, chicory, or radicchio (especially the white)
- Brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, or cabbage (especially the core)
- bitter melon (in Asian groceries)
- citrus pith and peel
- unsweetened cocoa (you may want to check that it’s kosher for Passover)
Or you may want to choose a food that isn’t bitter — if you like bitter — but is just unpleasant to you, or when eaten raw, such as:
- jalapeno
- cilantro
The key concept is: Choose a food that is bitter or unpleasant to you.
What’s your Kryptonite?
What food(s) deprive you of your powers and senses?
