Aron Streit, Inc. (sold under the name Streit's) is a kosher food company founded in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York City, best known for its

matzo Matzah or matzo ( he, מַצָּה, translit=maṣṣā'','' pl. matzot or Ashk. matzos) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which '' chametz'' ( leaven ...

. It is the only family-owned and operated matzo company in the United States, and distributes matzo in select international markets. It holds about 40 percent of the United States matzo market with its major competitor,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

based Manischewitz. The factory follows strict kosher laws. Only

shomer Shabbat In Judaism, a person who is shomer Shabbat or shomer Shabbos (plural ''shomré Shabbat'' or ''shomrei Shabbos''; he, שומר שבת, "Sabbath observer", sometimes more specifically, "Saturday Sabbath observer") is a person who observes the mit ...

( Sabbath-observing) Jews are allowed to touch the dough. However, once the dough is baked, people of any religion and non-shomer Shabbat Jews are allowed to touch the matzo. The entire process of making the matzo is under Rabbinic supervision. During

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

, Jews are not allowed to eat

leavened Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

bread, so the dough must be baked within 18 minutes before it has had time to rise. If the dough sits for longer than this, it is considered chametz – no longer kosher for Passover – and must be discarded.

History

The company was founded in 1916 by Aron Streit, a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

immigrant from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

who had made matzo there in the late 1800s. Its first factory was on Pitt Street in the Lower East Side of

. There, Streit and his business associate

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Weinberger made each piece of matzo by hand. In 1925, with the growing number of Jewish immigrants congregating in the Lower East Side, Streit, along with his two sons, Jack and Irving, moved his business to nearby 150 Rivington Street. Soon thereafter they bought the adjacent buildings, where the company operated for 90 years, before moving in 2015.

Lower East Side factory

Streit's matzo factory, along with Katz's Delicatessen and

Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery is a bakery and restaurant, located at 137 East Houston Street (between First Avenue and Second Avenue), in the Lower East Side, Manhattan, that has been selling knishes on the Lower East Side since 1890. Its cur ...

, was a surviving piece of the Lower East Side's Jewish heritage. At the turn of the 20th century, Jews, along with other European immigrants, were crammed into the many unsanitary tenements of the Lower East Side. In 1915 they made up 60 percent of the Lower East Side population. Because of the large Jewish presence, Jewish-centric businesses like Streit's opened and flourished. However, because of the poor living conditions, as soon as they financially could, many Jewish families moved out of the tenements to new areas of industry in New York City, namely uptown and

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, slowly making Streit's a relic of the past. Streit's Lower East Side matzo factory usually baked about of matzo each day. In preparation for

the factory ran 20 hours a day, testing its per day capacity.

New factory

Since the 1980s the Lower East Side has experienced hyper-

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

. The neighborhood is now a burgeoning area with rising rents. The Streit family even considered at one point opening a café or bar that serves matzo, to go with the Lower East Side's new nightlife scene. On December 20, 2007, it was announced that the factory had been listed for sale for $25,000,000. The Streit's family cited noise complaints, congested streets, and their desire to modernize its equipment, as the reasons for their eventual move. Its realtor, Massey Knakel Realty Services, commented "the building will most likely be torn down and converted into luxury condominiums." Midtown East-based Cogswell Realty bought the factory for $30.5 million in 2015. Cogswell closed on the properties, which together span roughly 50,000 square feet, in May 2015.From matzos to condos: LES project rising at 150 Rivington
The Real Deal. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Cogswell Lee Development and Gluck+, which is also the project's architect, are developing the condo building, and plan to festoon the lobby with Streit's memorabilia The new Streit's factory at 171 Route 303,

Orangeburg, New York Orangeburg is a hamlet and census-designated place, in the town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Tappan, south of Blauvelt, east of Pearl River and west of Piermont. The population was 4,568 at the ...

, replaced the matzo factory in Manhattan and warehouse and dry pack facility in Moonachie, New Jersey. Bag-and-box mixes like the matzo ball and soup mix, potato pancake mix, and most of the other side items were made in New Jersey for years.It’s Official: Streit’s Matzo is now in Rockland County
''Rockland County Times''. Rosman, Janie. October 1, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

Products

Besides matzo, Streit's produces many other kosher products under its name. There are two lines of products: Year Round Products and Budget Products. They also operate a separate label of foods called Ethnic Delights, which is mainly

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

s and seasonings.

List of Products

Year Round Products

Matzo Matzah or matzo ( he, מַצָּה, translit=maṣṣā'','' pl. matzot or Ashk. matzos) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which '' chametz'' ( leaven ...

*Lightly Salted *Unsalted *Flour/Water *Moonstrip *Egg/Onion *Whole Wheat *Matzo Meal *Mediterranean

Noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, In ...

s *Fine *Medium *Broad *Bows *Medley *Flakes *Barley *Toasted Barley
Soup Mixes *Mushroom-Barley *Split Pea *Variety *Minestrone *Lima Bean *Cup A Soup *Beef Noodle *Chicken Noodle *Mushroom Barley *Garden Vegetable *Chili/Bean *Split/Pea *Tomato/Couscous *Couscous
Assorted Matzo Products *Matzo Ball Mix *Onion Soup Mix *Matzo Ball Soup Mix *Vegetable Soup Mix *Stuffing Mix *Soup Nuts

Potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

Products *

Potato starch Potato starch is starch extracted from potatoes. The cells of the root tubers of the potato plant contain leucoplasts (starch grains). To extract the starch, the potatoes are crushed, and the starch grains are released from the destroyed cells. T ...

*Potato Kugel *Potato Pancake Mix *Vegetable Potato Pancake Mix *Ready to Serve Canned Soups *Chunky Chicken Noodle *Chicken Consommé *Hearty Vegetable *Mushroom & Barley *Minestrone

Wafer A wafer is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, light and dry biscuit, often used to decorate ice cream, and also used as a garnish on some sweet dishes. Wafers can also be made into cookies with cream flavoring sandwiched between them. They ...

s *Vanilla *Chocolate *Lemon
Dessert Jel *Tropical/Punch *Pineapple/Orange *Strawberry/Banana *Strawberry/Cranberry

Hanukkah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...

Products *Candles *Milk Chocolate Coins *Dark Chocolate Coins
Specialty * Kishka *Vegetable Quiche *Fried Rice *Old Fashion

Farfel Farfel (Yiddish: פֿאַרפֿל, ''farfl''; from Middle High German ''varveln'') is small pellet- or flake-shaped pasta used in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It is made from a Jewish egg noodle dough and is frequently toasted before being cooked. ...

*Bag n' Bake *Honey-Glazed Bag n' Bake *Barbecue Bag n' Bake *Griddle Mix *Blueberry Pancake Mix *Chicken Flavored Rice with Vermicelli *Beef Falvored Rice with Vermicelli *Brown Gravy *Onion Gravy *Family Skillet Dinner - Chili *Family Skillet Dinner - Pasta Sauce *Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup *Chow Mein Noodles *

Couscous Couscous ( '; ber, ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, translit=Seksu) – sometimes called kusksi or kseksu – is a Maghrebi dish of small steamed granules of rolled durum wheat semolina that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, ...

Kosher for Passover Products

Matzo *Passover Matzo *Egg Matzo *Whole Wheat *Schmura *Meal *Farfel * Cake Meal
Macaroons *Coconut *Chocolate *Almond *Brownie Crunch *Chocolate Chip *Bananarama *Chocolate Chocolate Chip *Honey Nut
Cookies *Chocolate Chip *Jelly Tart *Chocolate Nut *Diet

Kichel Kichel ( yi, קיכל, plural kichlach , the diminutive of ''kukhn'' "cake") is a slightly sweet cracker or cookie in Jewish cuisine. Made from eggs, flour, and sugar, the dough is rolled out flat and cut into bow-tie shapes. Commercially prepa ...

*Egg Kichel *Diet Kichel *Jumbo Kichel
Mandel Toast *Marble Mandel *Plain Mandel *Almond Mandel *Chocolate Nut Mandel
Mandel Loaf *Chocolate Chip *Cinnamon Raisin *Potato Chips *Salted *Unsalted *Salt Ripple
Cake Mixes *Sponge *Honey *Chocolate *Coffee *Chocolate Chip Loaf *Chocolate Chip Crumb *Chocolate Brownie *Chocolate Cupcake *Vanilla Cupcake *Honey Raisin Muffin *Blueberry Muffin
Chocolates *Lollycones *Chocolate Covered Macaroons *Milk Chocolate Carmel
Cashew Clusters *Milk Chocolate Covered Matzo *Festival Pop *Chocolate Covered Egg Matzo *Thin Mints *Pepper Mints *Almond Krunch
Condiments *Mayonnaise *Lite Mayonnaise *Ketchup *Apple Sauce *Apple Sauce-Unsweetened *Honey *Brown Gravy *Onion Gravy *Family Skillet Dinner
Dessert Jel *Tropical/Punch *Pineapple/Orange *Strawberry/Banana *Strawberry/Cranberry

Preserves *Strawberry *Cherry *Orange *Apricot *Raspberry
Cup/Farfel Soup *Vegetable *Chicken *Onion *Tomato/Beef
Pickled Products *Manhattan Style Pickles *Sweet and Sour Mushrooms *Hungarian Style Onions *Sweet and Sour Pattypan Squash
Gourmet Cake Mix *Fudge Brownie *Chocolate *Coffee *Honey *Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix *Chocolate Fudge Cookie Mix
Assorted Products *Kishke *Vegetable Quiche *Bag n' Bake *Honey-Glazed Bag n' Bake *Barbecue Bag n' Bake *Stuffing Mix *Potato Pancake *Vegetable Potato Pancake *Potato Kugel *Vegetable Soup Mix with
Matzo Ball Mix *Onion Soup Mix with Matzo
Ball Mix *Matzo Ball & Soup Mix *Potato Starch *Muesli Cereal *Griddle Mix *Blueberry Pancake Mix *Soup Nuts *Mashed Potatoes in a Cup *No Salt Potato Pancake Mix *Passover Noodles with Chicken
Flavor Sauce *Passover Noodles with Mushroom
Flavor Sauce

Ethnic Delight Products

*Manhattan Style Pickles with Hot Peppers *Three Color Peppers *Black Peppercorns *Chicken Seasoning *Garlic & Herb Seasoning *Organic Herb Salt *Roasted Garlic *Sea Salt *Green Olive Spread *Black Olive Spread *Pesto Sauce *Garlic Aioli with Dill *Sun Dried Tomatoes *Sun Dried Tomato Morsels

References

External links

* {{pancakes 1916 establishments in New York (state) Baking mixes Food and drink companies established in 1916 Food production companies based in New York City Kosher food Matzo Passover foods Family-owned companies of the United States