Vermatzah – handmade matzah baked in Vermont!
Vermatzah is one of the premium Artisan products from Naga Bakehouse, based in Middletown Springs, Vermont. Every spring we put aside our farmers markets and our traditional savory breads to bake as much Vermatzah as we can! And this is our story…
Following the journey of our ancestors from the desert to the Green Mountain hills of Vermont, we strive to re-connect the food we eat with the story of where it comes from. At Naga Bakehouse we follow the path of our Vermont grown grain from the field to the harvest to the baking meticulously guarding the entire process. We then infuse the 5,000 year old tradition of baking matzah by the open fire in small, handmade batches ensuring the freshest quality.
Why Round? For the past 5,000 years, matzah was hand shaped, irregular. It wasn’t until modern mechanization in the late 1800’s that matzah became uniform and square with a recognizable pattern. Vermatzah is a return to the past. Our wood-fired ancient round unleavened bread is a symbol of simplicity – a metaphor for getting back to the basics. Vermatzah is eco-kosher, connecting modern ecology with ancient dietary laws and ethical standards about food production, preparation and eating from the Green Mountain State. Vermatzah offers foodies and locavores interested in healthy eating and sustainable agriculture a tasty alternative!
Matzah, an ancient round unleavened bread is a symbol of freedom, simplicity and the return of spring – a metaphor for getting back to the basics. Eating sustainably made Vermatzah at your Passover Seder is, in the words of Wendell Berry, “an agricultural act.” It provides inspiration for making the kind of food choices that lead to a more sustainable lifestyle and a healthy working landscape.
Passover is the festival of Spring and of freedom – symbolizing the renewal of nature and of the human heart. This holiday is a wonderful time to reconnect with the land, to observe the rebirth of nature, to sow the seeds of spring and to partake in the renewed sprouting of the body, the mind and the landscape. To add a touch of Spring, Naga Bakehouse has included some Vermont wheat berries in each box of Vermatzah. Plant them in a pot on your sunny windowsill or direct sow in your garden, then harvest!
The Edible Mitzvah:
Matzah is more than a food, it’s the way we relive the Exodus. It’s the only mitzvah we have today that we actually eat. According to ancient traditions, the matzah you eat on the first night of Passover strengthens the faith of the soul, and matzah eaten on the second night heals it. Not all matzah is created equal. Vermatzah is shaped by hand and baked in our wood fired oven specifically for the mitzvah of eating matzah at the Seder just as the matzah was baked by our ancestors as they left Egypt. And, Vermatzah tastes great! We bake exclusively with the finest organic grains grown by neighboring farmers in Vermont.
Vermatzah – Sustenance for the Body-Fuel for the Soul.
