matzah

This term refers specifically to the unleavened bread used in Jewish ritual contexts, most notably during Passover. It carries a strong religious and cultural connotation, symbolizing the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, leaving no time for bread to rise.

While often used as a mass noun when referring to the substance of the bread, it is frequently treated as a countable noun when referring to individual crackers or sheets. Spelling variations such as matzo or matzah are common and interchangeable depending on regional transliteration from Hebrew.