What Ingredients Are On The Passover Seder Plate And Why?

On Passover, families gather around the table to retell the story of the Jewish people's escape from Pharaoh's rule. Items on the Seder plate bring their journey to freedom to life. Passover is the one major Jewish holiday where the service is conducted at home and not in a synagogue. There are many different ways to conduct the service but the main goal is to tell the Passover story so that it is passed down, from generation to generation. The Seder plate serves as sort of an interactive guide for the story. There are moments within the retelling of the tale where the readers are instructed to pause for a prayer or to eat a specific symbolic item from the Seder plate. Here is a little bit more information about each item that goes on the Seder plate and what it symbolizes.

What Is A Seder Plate?

The Seder plate is an important part of the Passover Seder. It is a special dish with at least five sections to hold the symbolic foods of the meal. Some plates are divided into sections for the foods, and some are trays with separate bowls to hold the ingredients. A plate isn’t necessary, but it is often a meaningful piece that gets passed down through the family. The selection of symbolic foods may vary by family, with the addition of some modern foods, but it generally includes a shank bone, egg, parsley, bitter herbs, and an apple-nut mixture called charoset.

What Goes On The Seder Plate?

Roasted Egg (Beitzah)

An egg is a symbol of an ancient sacrifice made at the Holy Temple. One egg is on the Seder plate but then hard-cooked eggs are usually served as a first dish before the festive meal.

Parsley (Karpas)

The parsley, which is dipped into salt water and then eaten, represents the hard work Jewish people endured under the Egyptian Pharaoh's rule and the tears they shed.

Bitter Herbs (Maror)

Horseradish, paired with matzah, signifies the bitterness of slavery.

Roasted Shank Bone (Zeroah)

A lamb (or chicken) bone represents the lamb sacrificed the night before the Jewish people made their journey out of Egypt.

Charoset

This sweet mix of apples, nuts, wine, and spices is a reminder of the mortar and bricks Jews were forced to make. This is eaten first alone with a spoon and then many families eat it together with the bitter herb on a piece of matzah or sandwiched between two pieces of matzah.

Lettuce (Chazeret)

Many Seder plates have room for a sixth food. Chazeret, or lettuce, is used as an additional bitter herb. The Haggadah instructs to eat matzah with bitter herbs. Usually, romaine or endive are used.

Additional Items On The Seder Table

In addition to the traditional items placed on the Seder plate, other ingredients are used in the ceremony. These items are not usually on the Seder plate but are placed near it.

Matzah

Three matzahs are stacked on a plate or napkin and covered to be used as part of the ceremony. They represent the unleavened bread the Jews took with them as they fled Egypt. The middle one is broken during the ceremony, and others are eaten during the meal.

Salt Water

A bowl of salt water is placed on the table next to the Seder plate. The parsley (karpas) is dipped into salt water and eaten in remembrance of tears shed.

Wine

In addition to the Seder plate, there are four glasses of wine consumed during the ceremony.