Passover can be a challenging time for cooks, but with a little planning, you can make cooking during Passover easy and an exciting opportunity to try new foods.

Passover, which is celebrated in the spring, recalls the Exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover starts on the fourteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the same day the Jews fled from Egypt over four-thousand years ago. The holiday begins with the Seder and continues for seven days.

During Passover (Pesach) the eating of leavened bread is not allowed. This custom is directly related to the Exodus. In the rush to leave Egypt there was no time to leaven bread, so a mixture of flour and water was baked, creating a new type of bread called "matzah." This special thin, crisp "cake" is eaten throughout the holiday in place of bread.

As a result of this dietary law, many strict regulations apply to eating and cooking. Chametz, or leaven (fermentation), and the five grains of wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats are forbidden. In addition, some Jews also refrain from eating rice, legumes, corn and corn products. Flour and leavened-flour products, including noddles, rolls and regular cakes, also are forbidden during the entire holiday.

To be sure there is no trace of bread in the house, the period just before Passover is one of much preparation. Traditionally, the home is cleaned and even the tiniest bread crumbs are discarded. In Kosher homes a whole new set of cookware, dishes and utensils are used for Passover. The restriction against leavening has created a vast array of creative solutions to cooking. Matzah meal is often substituted in place of flour, and many "Kosher for Passover" prepared foods are available to cooks.

The Seder is an unique ceremony that combines religious tradition with a festive meal that takes place at home with the entire family in attendance. Seder means "order," and it proceeds in an order according to details fixed by law and custom.

A special prayer book, the Haggadah, is read during the Seder and recalls the story of Moses, Pharaoh and the seven plagues. Special ritual foods, placed on a Seder plate, are eaten during the ceremony, which is followed by an elaborate dinner. After dinner, children search for the Afikoman (the middle matzah, which is hidden earlier), and the evening is concluded by further readings from Haggadah and the singing of Passover songs.

Keeping Kosher during Passover can be a tricky business, but with a little foresight—and perhaps some experimentation!—any cook can create delicious meals during this period.

• To find Kosher for Passover recipes, just search our collection of recipes with the search term Passover.
• For your Seder menu, try our Seder Dinner.
• Find out how to set your Seder table and the ingredients necessary for the Seder plate in Setting a Seder Table.
• For new and tasty ideas for school lunches, take a look at Kosher for Passover School Lunches.
• A fuller explanation of Passover and the ritual of the Seder can be found in the article on Passover in our Jewish Holidays Guide.