Although I was raised in a Jewish household and enjoyed many "Jewish
foods" that my mother prepared, like gefilte fish, chicken soup with
knaidlach or kreplach, chopped liver, potato kugel, a sort of
customized cholent, and matzo brei, we never had farfel. So when I
noticed a display of Manischweitz Matzo Farfel in a store, I bought a
box.

According to the ingredient panel on the box, the contents were made
of matzo flour (whatever that is) and water. It looks like crumbled
matzo, but coarser than matzo meal.

I asked my wife just what farfel was and how one prepared it. She had
no idea what it was made of but did recall that her mother used to put
it into chicken soup, but couldn't remember whether it was cooked or
otherwise processed before being added.

I dug out my schmaltz-stained copy of Sarah Kazden's "Love And
Knishes" in which I found a recipe for making farfel and, I believe, a
recipe for farfel kugel or somesuch dish, but no mention of other
uses. The recipe called for eggs and flour only.

Joan Nathan's "Jewish Holiday Cookbook" included a farfel kugel
recipe, but no other comment on farfel.

Online I did find a few recipes for farfel dishes including farfel
kugel with apples, farfel muffins, and similar.

So what do I want? I'd like to see some comment on farfel; how it's
used (other than the baked goods), its history, anything to help a
farfel-deprived but otherwise lovable septuagenarian.

Thanks,

-Len