What do the Passover food represent?

1. Matzah (Unleavened Bread):

- Represents the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt without waiting for their bread to rise.

- Symbolizes freedom from slavery and oppression.

2. Zeroa (Roasted Shankbone):

- Reminds of the Passover sacrifice, the lamb whose blood marked Israelite homes during the 10th plague in Egypt.

3. Beitzah (Roasted Egg):

- Symbolizes mourning and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

- Some families may not include an egg as it can represent fertility, which contrasts with slavery's oppression.

4. Charoset (Sweet Apple and Nut mixture):

- Represents mortar used by Israelite slaves in building Egypt's cities.

5. Maror (Bitter Herbs, often horseradish):

- Symbolizes the bitterness and harshness of slavery.

6. Karpas (Green Vegetable, usually parsley):

- Dipped in salt water to commemorate tears of slavery and subsequent redemption.

7. Chazeret (Bitter Vegetable, e.g., romaine lettuce):

- Also represents the bitterness of slavery.

8. Wine / Grape Juice (Four Cups):

- Each of the four cups has symbolic meanings related to liberation from Egypt.

These symbolic foods are placed on a Seder plate and used during the traditional Passover Seder meal, where the story of the Exodus is recounted and commemorated.