What Is Maror? Here’s How to Make Maror for Passover
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Maror, or bitter herbs, is a key Passover symbol. Here's what it represents and how to make maror for your seder.
Maror is a bitter herb that’s one of the items on the Passover Seder plate. Passover is a Jewish holiday commemorating the ancient Jewish peoples’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. The Seder is a ritual meal that involves telling the Passover story, in part by using foods to represent different themes.
Here’s a guide to what maror is and how you can make it at home.
What Is Maror?
According to Passover tradition, maror symbolizes the Jewish peoples’ suffering when they were enslaved. Some modern interpretations also say that it represents other forms of oppression that still exist today.
There are a number of different vegetables that you can use as the maror on a Passover Seder plate. Common choices include horseradish or romaine lettuce, and other traditional options include endive and celery. Like other Passover traditions, maror can vary depending on where you are in the world.
Alternatively, you can get creative and use less-traditional ingredients for the maror. In Brazil, where horseradish root isn’t native, some people use wasabi powder or mustard greens, according to the cookbook King Solomon’s Table. (Here are more of our favorite Jewish cookbooks!) And as food writer and culinary historian Michael Twitty explains on his blog, Afroculinaria, he uses collard greens to represent his Jewish and African-American identities.
How to Make Maror for Passover
While you can use raw bitter vegetables or store-bought prepared horseradish as maror, some families prefer to make it themselves. Our homemade horseradish recipe makes white horseradish, but you can also add beets to make a vibrant pink horseradish spread.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed peeled horseradish root (1/2-inch pieces)
- 3/4 cup vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and then process until the mixture is pureed. Cover the horseradish and store it in the refrigerator. That’s all there is to the prep!
How to Eat Maror
Traditionally, you eat maror as part of the Passover Seder—first by dipping it in charoset, an apple and nut mixture that’s also on the Seder plate, and then by sandwiching it between two pieces of matzo.
While some people enjoy the spicy taste of horseradish and happily eat it throughout the week of Passover, maror is primarily a symbolic food that’s eaten in small amounts as part of the Seder. For the main Passover meal, consider preparing some of these other Passover recipes.
Charoset
Charoset with apples, walnuts and spices has a special meaning for the Passover holiday. It represents mortar used for brickmaking when the Israelites were in Egypt. The sweetness represents freedom. —Gloria Mezikofsky, Wakefield, Massachusetts Editor's Tip: When using pantry ingredients in these recipes, double-check that they have been certified Kosher for Passover.
Orange-Spiced Brisket
Give tender beef a festive touch with cinnamon, cloves, coriander and a kiss of sweetness from orange and dates. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Flavorful Matzo Ball Soup
A variety of winter vegetables gives the broth for this classic Jewish soup a deep flavor. You can use a few green onions instead of the leek. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Slow-Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
Even a beginner cook could make this slow cooked chicken and have it turn out perfectly. This recipe could not be easier. A few minutes of prep and you'll come home to a delicious dinner. —Anita Bell, Hermitage, Tennessee
Matzo Toffee
Once you start eating matzo toffee, you may not be able to stop! Matzo crackers are topped with buttery caramel, chocolate and slivered almonds and then baked to perfection. —Sharalyn Zander, Jacksonville, Alabama
Passover Popovers
Popovers have an important role at the Passover table as a substitute for bread. When puffed and golden brown, they’re ready to share. —Gloria Mezikofsky, Wakefield, Massachusetts
Lemony Coconut Macaroons
These chewy gems have refreshing lemon flavor. They freeze well and thaw easily in the fridge, so you can cure a craving anytime. —Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Here's the perfect dessert for chocoholics—like me! I bake this melt-in-your-mouth torte all the time for special occasions. For an elegant finish, dust it with confectioners' sugar. —Kayla Albrecht, Freeport, Illinois
Brown Sugar-Glazed Baby Carrots
These delicious glazed carrots come to the rescue when I’m preparing a special meal. They cook while I prepare the other dishes, and the slow-cooker simmering saves me precious oven space. —Anndrea Bailey, Huntington Beach, California
Cranberry Lime Macaroons
It wouldn’t be the holidays for my family and friends if I didn’t make these chewy lime-flavored macaroons. I usually make several batches a week during the season..—Alisa Costa, Chatham, New York
Roasted Chicken & Red Potatoes
Here's how long to bake chicken leg quarters. Pop this homey dinner in the oven for about an hour, then enjoy! It has so much flavor—the meat juices help cook the veggies just perfectly. —Sherri Melotik, Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rosemary Ganache
This rich cake is the essence of moist, dense and chocolaty. A silky chocolate ganache infused with rosemary really takes it over the top. —Kelly Gardner, Alton, Illinois
Roasted Carrots with Thyme
These roasted carrots are so simple but always a hit. Cutting the carrots lengthwise makes this dish look extra pretty.—Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
Potato Kugel
The secret to keeping your potatoes their whitest in your potato kugel is to switch back and forth when grating the potatoes and onion in your food processor or box grater. —Ellen Ruzinsky, Yorktown Heights, New York
Roasted Radishes
Radishes aren't just for salads anymore. This abundant springtime veggie makes a colorful side to any meal. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Red Roasted Potatoes
Roasting red potatoes is one of my favorite way to prepare them. Some fragrant rosemary, fresh or dried, gives these potatoes a distinctive but subtle taste. This dish is simple to prepare, yet elegant in color and flavor. It's a wonderful addition to any menu. —Margie Wampler, Butler, Pennsylvania
Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken
I love lemon and thyme together so I decided to roast a chicken with that combo. The seasoning is simple, and the meat comes out moist and tender. —Pam Nelson, Beaverton, Oregon
Chocolate-Dipped Hazelnut Macaroons
These pretty cookies are perfect for the special holiday season and pretty easy to make! —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
