Seder Plate: The Bitter Herbs
Bitter herbs (maror)
remind us of the bitterness of the slavery of our
forefathers in Egypt. Fresh grated horseradish,
romaine lettuce, and endive are the most common
choices.
Preparation: This must be done before the holiday begins. Peel the raw horseradish roots, and rinse them off well. 
Note: Dry the
roots very carefully, since they will be eaten with
the matzah later on for the Korech sandwich;
to avoid gebrokts, not even a drop of
water should be left on the horseradish. Next,
grate the horseradish with a hand grater or electric
grinder. (Whoever will be grating the horseradish
will begin to shed copious tears or cough a lot.
Covering the face with a cloth from the eyes
downwards helps prevent inhalation of the strong,
bitter odor.) The lettuce or endive leaves must be washed,
carefully checked for insects, and thoroughly dried.
You can instead use just the stalks, which are
easier to clean and check.
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Role in the Seder: After the recital of most of the Haggadah comes the ritual hand washing. Then matzah is eaten, followed by some maror, followed in turn by a sandwich of matzah and maror. |
