Unleavened bread Unleavened bread Unleavened bread is any of a wide variety of breads which are not prepared with raising agents such as yeast. Unleavened breads are generally flat breads; however, not all flat breads are unleavened. Unleavened breads, such as the tortilla and roti, are staple foods in Central America and South Asia, respectively. Unleavened breads have symbolic importance in Judaism and Christianity. Jews consume unleavened breads such as matzo during Passover - various traditions explain this usage. Unleavened bread also features in some Western Christian liturgies during the Eucharist, a rite derived from the Last Supper when Jesus broke bread,
Matzo for the Eucharist are flat, unleavened bread. The main reason for the use of this bread is the belief, that because the last supper was described in the Synoptic Gospels as a passover meal, the unleavened matzo bread was used by Jesus when he held it up and said "this is my body". All Byzantine Rite churches use leavened bread for the Eucharist as this symbolizes the risen Christ. Some Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians use leavened bread, as in the east there is the tradition, based upon the gospel of John, that leavened bread was on the table