Growing up, I always believed that my mom’s matzo balls were the best. They were the ones that comforted me through winter colds, celebrated my school milestones, and were a staple during our Jewish holidays. Turns out, they weren’t entirely my mom’s creation. As it turns out, countless other families enjoy the same matzo balls, not because of a secret family recipe, but because they come from a box.
This is the secret to making the best matzo balls ever. I’m not saying this lightly. As someone who edits recipes professionally, I’m always skeptic about shortcuts. I’ve made all sorts of foods just for fun—bread, tofu, mayonnaise, ricotta, tortillas, yogurt, marshmallows. So, when it came to matzo balls, I thought making them from scratch would be a breeze and, of course, much better.
For years, I experimented with various ingredients and techniques. I used matzo meal to control the seasoning, seltzer and beaten egg whites for lightness, schmaltz for flavor, and even various oils for ease. I tested ground spices like cumin and ginger, added every fresh herb I could think of, and simmered them in different broths. None of these efforts were wrong, but none of them were right either.
It took months of illness to realize why. In an effort to get me to eat something, my mom brought me soup and a box of Manischewitz. This humble meal, which I could assemble half asleep, made me hungry again. The matzo balls were fluffy, savory, and perfect—neither floaters nor sinkers but just right. I immediately ordered six more boxes.
Memory is a powerful thing, and sometimes our nostalgia for certain foods is unmatched by anything we can make from scratch. But even if you didn’t grow up on matzo ball soup, I’d still recommend starting with the box. Sometimes, a factory just does it better, like with potato chips. My coworker Kate Kassin also swears by the convenience and texture of boxed matzo balls.
Kate often uses Streit’s mix, but neither of us is picky. The key is to resist the urge to DIY and embrace the convenience.
Even so, we all opt for homemade soup to go with our boxed matzo balls. My favorite is a chickpea soup with lots of celery and dill, a vegetarian twist that my grandma might not approve of. But isn’t that the best part of tradition? Making it your own.
[Click here for more info!](https://www.amazon.com/Manischewitz-Mix-Matzo-Ball-Soup/dp/B00J72UYJY)