Passover shopping in my family was always an event. My family would go grocery shopping together at the Jewish market. No matter how far in advance we shopped, the store was always mobbed. There were dozens of people pouring over huge displays of matzah, macaroons, and those half-moon jelly fruit slices. It took forever for our number to be called at the deli counter where we loaded up on chopped herring, gefilte fish, and matzah ball soup.
This year’s holiday has a different feeling, of course, with COVID-19 keeping us self-isolating or sheltering in place. However, In between cleaning, home-schooling, and teaching non-techie relatives the ins and outs of Skype and Zoom, there’s still time to do your Passover shopping online. You can order almost everything you need online, plus a few things that will lift your spirits as you celebrate in a very isolating and uncertain time.
A few words of caution before you begin shopping. First of all, don’t delay! I’ve shopped at most of these places previously since it’s hard for me to find a good selection of goods where I live, even in the best of times. This year, I discovered that a few of my favorite online stores have either closed because of the COVID-19 virus or have extremely limited inventories. The shops listed below still had items in stock and were able to ship in the continental United States at the time of writing this.
Secondly, most of the items on these sites are kosher or kosher-style. However, be aware that not everything is specifically kosher for Passover. If you keep a kosher home, read the product descriptions and zoom into the packaging to get a good look at the product and symbol labeling. If you’re still unsure, send an email or call before buying.
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Now with these things in mind, let’s go shopping.
Matzah
Sadly, Manischewitz was one of the casualties of COVID-19. They say they can’t fill or ship any more orders. However, Streits, another one of the oldest matzah makers in the U.S., is still open and shipping. In addition to matzah, they have matzah ball soup mix, macaroons, matzah meal, matzah farfel, and a variety of Passover cake mixes that I can say from experience are pretty tasty. If strictly kosher for Passover matzah is not an issue, and you’re looking for something a bit hipper and more upbeat, check out The Matzo Project. They’ve got some fun flavor varieties, including salted and “everything.”
Dessert Matzah
Chocolate covered matzah is one of the delights of the holiday. Fatty Sundays is a Brooklyn-based company best known for covering pretzels in all kinds of chocolate and caramel combinations. For Passover, they roll out a kosher-for-Passover selection of matzah dipped in chocolate and covered with sprinkles or sea salt. I buy a box every year, and it’s always gone well before the wine. The Matzo Project makes a chocolate treat with the best name: “Ungapotchkies” (the Yiddish word for way, way, way over the top). It’s a chocolate-covered mix of toasted rice, toffee, coconut, and of course, matzah.
Other Passover Sweets
I shop The Mouth year-round for treats and condiments from this online collection of artisanal and small-batch food purveyors. Several vendors have a collection of unique Passover foods collected into a category called “Yum Tov” (see what they did there?). Some of the goodies I’m ordering include maple and peanut butter halvah and rainbow sprinkle macaroons. The chocolate peanut butter frogs look pretty good, too.
Breads Bakery is offering a variety of Passover foods and desserts including gefilte fish, haroset, chocolate mousse, and even vegetarian matzah ball soup all of which can be ordered online (or you can call them directly 212.633.2253) and delivered in New York City. If you are outside New York they will ship chocolate brownie cake, coconut cake, or any of their Passover cookies nationwide.
Mains and Sides
Zabar’s
The classic New York Deli on the city’s Upper West Side has a thriving mail-order business sending bagels, schmears, and other delights all over the U.S. (and all over the world too!). Packages arrive carefully packed, and perishable items ship the next day. If you don’t feel like cooking, you can have an entire Passover meal shipped to your door, including a seder plate, brisket, side dishes, and two cans of coconut macaroons. A la carte items include chopped liver, gefilte fish, noodle kugel, stuffed cabbage, and even roast duck. Free shipping is offered for several gift baskets and dinner selections.
Goldbelly Passover Selections
If you’ve ever been homesick for the regional favorite from your hometown, you’ve probably shopped Goldbelly. They are the online home of beloved and iconic restaurants, bakers, and chefs from all over the country. Goldbelly’s Passover selection includes Jewish soul food from some legendary eateries, including New York City’s Russ and Daughters, Houston’s Kenny and Ziggy’s, two different pickle vendors (Gus’s and The Pickle Guys), and all the macaroons you can carry. Choose from as many purveyors as you’d like and look for free shipping offers. Some items to consider: Jacques Torres chocolate covered Mmatzah; homemade gefilte fish and smoked whitefish from Sable’s Smoked Fish; a complete Passover dinner for 6-8 from Liebman’s Kosher Deli in the Bronx with matzah ball soup, brisket, potato kugel, chopped liver, pickles, and other choices.
