Why is this grocery store trip different from all other trips? If you're observing Passover now through April 30, the traditional foods may be more expensive.
The big picture: Unleavened matzo and gefilte fish are classic staples of the holiday table — but prices can vary across the country.
Zoom in: In D.C., matzo and gefilte fish cost $5.04 and $7.36 on average, respectively, in the two weeks leading up to Passover, according to NIQ, which tracks buying behavior.
Nationally, matzo is $5.07 and gefilte fish is $7.07, on average.
The intrigue: That's nothing compared to prices for shmurah ("guarded") matzah — a specialized kosher variety whose ingredients are carefully selected and watched over to represent their purest forms, each kneaded and baked by hand.
Boxes go for around $40 at D.C.-area Balducci's, which sources from matzah bakeries in Brooklyn — including a gluten-free oat variety.
Anna's thought bubble: Don't kvetch before you try it, the flavor is worth the price — rich with deliciously charred edges from wood-fired ovens.