People who regularly visit any Jewish Cuisine restaurant in places like Fort Lauderdale would most likely notice that the Matzo Ball Soup is never absent from the menu. That’s because of the fact that it’s delicious and refreshing — aside from it being perfect for hangovers or for when you’re trying to recover from colds. You can also say that, arguably, it’s one of everyone’s most favorite Jewish dishes. Everyone testifies that, as children growing up exposed to this sort of cuisine, the matzo ball soup was among those that you really can’t help but get multiple servings of in only one mealtime.
With that said, did you know that the matzo ball soup has a really long history behind it, stretching back to the era of the Old Testament?
This unleavened bread originated from Moses’ time when the Pharaoh finally agreed to let go of the Jewish people that Egypt had enslaved. Those who went with Moses had to leave in a hurry, so they didn’t have time to pack all the food and supplies they’d need for the journey. Instead of bread, most only managed to bring an unleavened mixture of water and flour with them, which they would bake by leaving it under the sun. As a commemoration of this event and the trials experienced by their ancestors afterward, the Jewish people then began to celebrate Passover, one of their most important holidays. Part of the celebration is the abstinence from all varieties of leavened bread. Naturally, that means preparation and consumption of matzo.
Matzo used to be a really lumpy and bumpy kind of bread that could only be produced at home by mothers and grandmothers. That was the status quo until around the 1880s when the Manischewitz Company formally introduced an automated means of matzo production. This development made mass production possible, making matzo a lot more cost-friendly and accessible to everyone. This factory-style production is what led to matzos nowadays looking flat instead of bumpy. The Jewish community was initially strongly against this automation until the company owner traveled to Jerusalem to study the Talmud.
Thanks to this, matzo can now be found in almost any shop, unlike back in the day when only those skilled in Jewish cuisine, mostly mothers and grandmothers, could produce them by hand. And as the matzo became more easily accessible, so did the delicious meal known as matzo ball soup.
A restaurant or a business that provides catering in Fort Lauderdale would create this dish using matzo meal — which is basically matzo that’s finely pulverized and turned into a flour-like base for the balls — mixed with eggs, spices, and chicken fat. And then, the balls are served with a chicken soup that’s enhanced by even more spices and vegetables (of course, the specifics are a trade secret). So although it’s quite a simple dish, its mixture of flavors proves to appeal to almost any person who gets to taste it. And that, along with its long history, is the reason it’s such a popular dish.
We at Tower Deli serve up one of, if not, the best matzo ball soup in town. So if you are interested in experiencing rich history through genuine flavors, visit us at 2315 South University Drive, Davie, Florida and try out our dishes! As for inquiries or orders, feel free to call us at 954-452-8202. As a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale that’s most well known as a provider of Jewish cuisines, we make sure to honor this history whenever we prepare a bowl of matzo ball soup to serve you.