The hidden matzah piece eaten at the end of the Seder is called the Afikoman.
During Yachatz, an early stage of the Seder, the middle matzah is broken. The smaller portion returns to the stack, while the larger piece is wrapped and set aside. It is later eaten during Tzafun, whose name means “hidden,” after the festive meal. In many households, the Afikoman is hidden for children to find or is “stolen” and ransomed for a prize.
The Afikoman is not a separate kind of bread or a sweet dessert. It is matzah, traditionally eaten as the final food of the meal. Jewish law and custom connect it with the Passover sacrifice that was eaten at the end of the Temple-era meal. Because it is intended to leave the taste of matzah in the mouth, many traditions prohibit eating further food afterward, though the remaining ritual wine is still consumed.
The word probably comes from Greek and was associated with dessert or post-meal entertainment. Customs vary among Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi communities, but its role as the Seder’s concluding matzah is widely recognized.