The bitter herb eaten during the Seder is called Maror.
Maror is one of the symbolic foods associated with the Passover Seder and represents the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. The practice comes from the Torah’s instruction to eat the Passover offering with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, eating maror became a rabbinic observance because the sacrificial meal was no longer possible.
Maror is a category rather than one universally fixed plant. Common choices include horseradish and romaine lettuce, while the Mishnah lists five types of bitter herbs. Customs differ by community and region; some traditions use lettuce, endive, or other plants recognized as suitable.
At the Seder, maror is commonly dipped in charoset, a sweet mixture symbolizing the mortar used by enslaved Israelites. The dipping does not erase the herb’s bitterness, which remains central to its symbolism. Maror is also used in Korech, the Hillel sandwich of matzah and bitter herbs.
Maror should not be confused with karpas, the vegetable eaten earlier in the Seder, or charoset, which is sweet rather than bitter.