Shmura matzohs may look the same but they don’t taste the same. Each major Hasidic sect in Williamsburg has its own matzoh bakery and each bakery zealously guards its methods and its recipe. But which factory produces the tastiest shmura (if those words aren’t themselves a contradiction in terms)? We put our stomachs (and bowels) on the line for our first-ever Shmura Matzoh Smackdown.
Kerestir Passover Hand Matzohs
32 Lynch St.
The package promises that each round is “baked in a brick oven with ash firewood to enhance crispness” and, to a degree, the rabbis are right. The matzohs are “crisp,” only “lightly smoky” and you can really taste the ash. This factory also enjoys cache in the Brooklyn Heights crowd, having been recommended by Democratic District Leader Steve Cohn.
Overall comment: Crispy, but unsatisfying.
Satmar Bakery (Zalmanites)
427 Broadway
The only bakery to source its grain locally, specifically from Long Island, these matzohs are “dense” and “heavy” with a classic wheat aftertaste and grainy texture. However, some tasters could not differentiate the product from the box that contained it.
Overall comment: Thicker than a Talmud.
Satmar Bakery (Aaronites)
322 Rutledge St.
The newest bakery in Williamsburg, this Satmar factory pioneered the use of Arizona-based wheat after the rebbe visited the state and proclaimed its flour more kosher. Matzohs have a “bold wheat flavor,” a “sharp texture” and were among the tastiest sampled.
Overall comment: Crispy and thin.
Pupa and Zehlem Matzoh Bakery
346 Broadway
The winners in the taste test, the Pupa matzohs were “light,” “crisp” and “not at all burnt.” For Williamsburg families that have to eat 20 pounds of the stuff during Passover, these matzohs are the easiest to digest.
Overall comment: Just like grandpa used to make.