Increasing demand here for quinoa which can be boiled or otherwise prepared in a variety of ricelike dishes has driven up the price, persuading many farmers who grew wheat, corn or barley in Bolivia and Peru to plant quinoa as well, said Rabbi Menachem Genack, director of the kosher department of the New York-based Orthodox Union, the worlds largest kashrut certification agency. We recommend that you inspect any product carefully before using it, the rabbi said. Traditional tabbouleh is a refreshing Lebanese salad made with fresh parsley, tomatoes, scallions or onions, and bulgur wheat with a simple olive oil, lemon, and salt dressing. Were really pleased that youve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. He practiced customs different from those of his Ashkenazi neighbors, and also endured bullying and racial epithets. While blessings are not part of Rabbi Ghooris kashrut inspection routine, he was happy to oblige. contamination was not common at the time thatthe minhag was established, and therefore theseseeds did not make it on to the kitniyos list. Quinoas price has skyrocketed in recent years, as foreign consumers have learned more about the health benefits of this superfood, which is gluten-free and contains all the essential amino acids. Passover | Kosher For Passover Certification by the Orthodox Union Therefore, only a reliable kosher forPassover supervision will guarantee that there areno actual chometz concerns. . This year, there's a new answer: For the first time, the Orthodox Union, the ultimate authority on kosher foods, has put its "kosher for Passover" symbol on certain brands of quinoa. Furthermore, kitniyos are For example, food coloring derived from shellfish and used in a cake makes the cake non-kosher. Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, announced today that quinoa, the grain-like seed grown in South America, is Kosher for Passover when processed with special OU Passover supervision and bearing the OU-P symbol. There are two reasons given for this custom: kitniyot foods are able to be made into products that resemble chametz and will therefore lead people to mistake one for the other. is recommending that kosher consumers look to their local rabbis for guidance on the quinoa question. Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. Were happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. Quinoas Passover status is dependent on whether the popular health food is considered part of the category of foods known as kitniyot. Though he set out to discover only the food's kosher status, he would become an unlikely champion of exploited Peruvian . Is CannabisKitniyos? After he began working in Chile in the early 1990s, his mind opened even further. Rabbi Victor S. Appell (he/him/his) is the Associate Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, NJ. I didnt have a completely informed answer, and neither did the OU. there's a new answer: For the first time, the Orthodox Union, the ultimate authority on kosher foods, has put its "kosher for Passover" symbol on certain brands of quinoa. The Orthodox Union has not certified quinoa kosher for Passover, leaving the decision to consumers and their rabbis. Others [rabbis] are of the opinion that as long as there is a reliable kashrut certification that no other grains were mixed into it, then it would be okay. Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, announced today that quinoa, the grain-like seed grown in South America, is Kosher for Passover when processed with special OU Passover supervision and bearing the OU-P symbol. As with most matters under the purview of Jewish law from how to turn on the lights during the Sabbath, to what kind of cough syrup is certified kosher a debate has emerged among rabbinical experts about quinoas bona fides as a kosher alternative to leavened-grain products like bread. However, the minhagincludes several species that arenot botanical legumes (e.g. "We sent a rabbi (to South America) who works for us, who lived in Chile, speaks the language, knows the culture, and he was able to determine quinoa fields that were not near any grain fields." Kosher l'Pesach baby formula is available from kosher shops. Little questions, though, sometimes arise that can stump even the experts. The fact that quinoa wasnt a known food when the prohibition was enacted, while an important factor, is by itself insufficient to exclude quinoa from kitniyot, explained Rabbi Rabinowitz. The O.U. You can find it in most supermarkets, shelved with the grains. "Quinoa is a perfectly fine seed but the question is what's being grown next to it, does it grow in proximity to grains?" Reliable kosher-for-Passover supervision guarantees that the quinoa does not grow adjacent to a grain field, and that it's not transported to the mill in sacks that were used to carry grains. Ghoori attributes his curiosity about the world to his childhood, when he grew up as a Yemenite among Eastern European Haredim in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn. Please try again or choose an option below. Several brands are now certified kosher for Passover by major kosher agencies like the Orthodox Union and Star K. The Orthodox arbiters of kosher inspected quinoa fields in the mountains of Peru and Bolivia. Those who rely on the O.U. Raw, kosher meat, fish and chicken, fruit and vegetables and other such produce are essentially kosher for Passover and need not be labeled as such, provided that they did not come into close contact with chametz. It says quinoa is proper for Passover if imported from Bolivia by companies that handle the crop exclusively. I went to hear two rabbis discussing the quinoa situation at my synagogue last week, said Arlene J. Mathes-Scharf, a food scientist in Sharon, Mass., who specializes in kosher food and operates a popular consumer Web site, Kashrut.com. Included in this group are: beans (all), buckwheat/kasha, caraway, cardamom, chickpeas, corn, fennel, fenugreek, grains-of-paradise, lentils, millet, mustard, peas, poppy seeds, rapeseed/canola, rice, sesame seeds, snow peas, sorghum, sugar-snap peas, soybeans, sunflower seeds and according to some include even cottonseed.). Why people are choosing to eatand not eatthe grain-like substance. Ghoori met with local leaders and growers and claims he opened their eyes to the real value of their crop and helped convince them to use the new processing facility. Most of the Passover foods just end up tasting like Passover, so we rely on quinoa to be that side staple.. He lives with his husband, Colin Hogan, and their two sons, Avi and Lev. . Ghoori said some of the help he offered the Cashibo-Cacataibo was theological. Not widely exported until the 1990s, quinoa has become increasingly trendy in the United States, particularly among people on gluten-free and vegetarian diets. For Passover, Quinoa Is Popular, but Kosher? Take a walk down the aisles of any supermarket and you will see that certification appears onover 60% of Americasproduced foods that are certified kosher, from the coveted Oreo to the thirst-quenching Coca-Cola. All aluminum foil and disposable pans and trays, wax paper. Apparently, such It takes just a few seconds. The Orthodox Union announced last year that it would not certify quinoa as kosher for Passover out of concern that quinoa falls into the category of kitniyot, a group of legumes forbidden because they look similar to grains proscribed on the holiday. Quinoa. You can use it on Passover," said Rabbi Michael Balinsky, executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. 2023 Orthodox Union | All Rights Reserved, {{formatTime(zmanim.candle_lighting_shabbos)}}. Its great to have it on Passover instead of the usual potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. If you appreciate the integrity of this type of journalism, please join the ToI Community. We recommend that quinoa is not used on Pesach unless it is specifically needed for health reasons, in which case it should preferably be purchased with a kosher l'Pesach hechsher. Food Items - Kosher for Passover It was put in soups, in their teas and sprinkled on everything [as] a good vitamin., Worries about regular cross-contamination with grains like wheat also proved groundless. What Makes Certain Foods Kosher? - The Spruce Eats Amaranth, like quinoa, has for centuries languished outside the American food psyche. Rinat Cohen bought quinoa at the Pomegranate market to prepare during Passover. Tasty, gluten-free, protein-rich and, by many accounts, kosher for Seders lacking in carbohydrate variety it has become a staple of Passover cookbooks. Until then, its only eight days.. To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. Rabbi Hershel Schachter, one of the heads of Yeshiva Universitys rabbinical school and also an O.U. Most Americans eat somekosher foodevery day, but chances are theyre not aware of it. Chametz typically includes leavened bread or any food that contains wheat, rye, barley, oats, or spelt, unless production has been supervised to ensure that it has not leavened. With Passover set to begin this evening, there's a debate brewing about whether quinoa is permissible to eat on the holiday. Quinoa Is Kosher For Passover, But Mom May Not Approve She was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and is a member of Temple Sinai of Sharon, MA. Already a member? Although the problem may not be the Passover kosher-ness of amaranth itself, the issue of contamination is real and as of now, may to some seem insurmountable. Pesach FAQ's | Kosher London Beth Din - KLBD But middlemen based in Lima buy the product from growers for a low price and sell it to exporters who after processing the grain and removing its bitter shell sell it on the international market for a hefty profit. announced in December 2013 that it would begin certifying quinoa kosher for Passover. At your grocery store, look in the healthy food section, or in the aisle with beans, grains and seeds. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/nyregion/for-passover-eating-quinoa-is-popular-but-is-it-kosher.html. Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad by Brynie Greisman. When Rabbi Shoshan Ghoori of the Orthodox Union first traveled to La Rinconada, Peru, the worlds highest city, the air was so thin that he needed an oxygen tank just to stay conscious. On Passover when wheat, oats, rye, spelt and barley are all prohibited quinoa has emerged as a popular substitute. Baking Powder. We rely on readers like you to support our fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. There are two camps on quinoa: rabbis who say it is fine, and those who regard it as suspect. I kind of felt for many years like an outsider because of my skin color, he said. But we should be worrying about other things, like all the cookies, pizzas and noodles that are Passover certified but appear to be chametz. Kosher for Passover information from OU Kosher including articles, Passover-friendly recipes, and guidelines for Passover. Tami Ganeles-Weiser is a food anthropologist, trained chef, recipe developer, writer and founder of TheWeiserKitchen. It has a protein content of about 15 percent, and a balance of important amino acids, magnesium, calcium, and other minerals and vitamins. Quinoa "Hummus" by Naomi Nachman. Quinoa, like amaranth, is a seed, and there is widespread acceptance of . Both the leaves and seeds remain important food sources in Nigeria, India, Nepal and Peru, where it is a breakfast porridge. That could change, however, with the worlds major kosher certifier refusing to give quinoa its Passover seal of approval. III: 63) was asked if peanuts are consideredkitniyos since they are similar to peas (peanuts are actually legumes) and arecommonly ground into flour. But the O.U., the nations largest kosher certification agency, had refused to give its stamp of approval. Spray starch - Niagara, Linit Hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, all sun tanning products. Still, the amaranth seeds power is in its nutritional value, not just its global journey, fun though the history may be. Is Quinoa Kosher For Passover? - Tasting Table Click the link in that email to complete your registration. NEW YORK (JTA) On any given day, a wind might blow through the farmlands of South America, pick up an errant grain of barley and deposit it nearby among the vast rows of cultivated quinoa. It is gluten free, and not only contains consequentially more protein than rice or rye, but it is a complete vegan protein including the amino acid lysine, which is what both corn and wheat lack. You see, quinoa is not a grain. The difficulty with Rav Moshes approach is thefact that maize (AKA corn) arrived in Europe at thesame period potatoes did, and nevertheless all agreethat corn is considered kitniyos. These are removed through soaking in water. Like, what to do about the quinoa situation? But the lack of air did not deter him from his peculiar mission: deciding whether quinoa should be kosher for Passover. But that whole thing about the grain-like product helping Jews get their carb fix during Passover? The OU Kashrut organization lists amaranth as possible Kitniyot and thus should be avoided. Were happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. Not widely exported until the 1990s, quinoa has become increasingly trendy in the United States, particularly among people on gluten-free and vegetarian diets. What Is Kosher for Passover? - Chabad.org On theother hand, products madefrom of the cannabis leaves,stalks or flowers (like CBDoil, hemp extract, terpenes,or marijuana where legal, ofcourse) would technically notbe kitniyos. Rather, the minhag only applies to those species that were available in Europe atthe time that the minhag was instituted. What is Tabbouleh? For Passover, Quinoa Is Popular, but Kosher? Does Quinoa Need To Be Marked Kosher For Passover? View List ofOU-Kitniyot and OU-Matza Ashira Products, Click Here to Apply or Call: 212-613-8372. kosher certification. Back in 1997, the kashrut certification company Star-K deemed quinoa--a member of the goosefoot family, which also includes beets and spinachkosher for Passover, reasoning that it was not one of the five leavened grains (chametz) or other grains and legumes (kitniyot) prohibited on Passover. On the other hand, he continues, the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council) is of the opinion that it is not kitniyot; however, it must have a special Passover certification that no other seeds were mixed into it. Alternatively, kitniyot foods were grown in close proximity to grains and therefore might have been cross-contaminated with chametz. Though he set out to discover only the foods kosher status, he would become an unlikely champion of exploited Peruvian farmers, helping them export their goods for a fair price. Indeed, thePoskim (Mga and Taz) caution that they mustbe checked diligently before use. Some inspectors have found traces of wheat, and other grains susceptible to leavening in the cooking process, mixed in with quinoa shipped by some farmers, he said. When he learned that Peruvian wool producers were having difficulty finding a market for their products, he invited Uruguayan wool experts to train the Peruvians in more sophisticated production methods. If only more rabbis had his moral courage and will, Roman Abramovichs tangled Portuguese roots, Documents filed in his citizenship case show the validity of his claims and reveal the complexity of Sephardic heritage, Or how Israeli dance reminded me to try new things, from netball to yoga at sunrise and whatever comes next, Kim Kardashian cries over Kanyes antisemitism in upcoming Kardashians episode, What Matters Now to Brig. Ashkenazi Jews of European origin follow a centuries-old prohibition against eating kitniyot, which includes staples like rice, corn, chickpeas and sometimes peanuts. See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs. According to NPR's food blog, the Salt, quinoa is not on the list of rising grains that are forbidden during Passover, which include wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt. Eventually many South American communities served popped amaranth as a street food, and it is still commonly found there. In a previous issue of Kosher Spirit (Spring2009), the legendary Rabbi Zusha Yosef Blech ZL explained why corn was the only new food thatmade it onto the kitniyos list: While the commonname for maize is corn, the origin of the word cornis quite different. Spray a thin layer of nonstick spray, or spread a thin layer of olive oil on the pan. The question was taken up by the poskim (halachic decisors) of the Orthodox Unions kashrut division who reached a consensus that under appropriate conditions, the OU could certify quinoa for Passover, providing it has been processed with specific supervision for the holiday. My message to them is to not give up whats sacred to them, he said. Further south, amaranth was also familiar in the Incan civilization, where it was a cooked food for the imperial family. So all the quinoa approved by the O.U. But for Eve Becker, risking a rabbinic prohibition on a staple food probably wont sit too well in her house. When Rabbi Shoshan Ghoori of the Orthodox Union first traveled to La Rinconada, Peru, the worlds highest city, the air was so thin that he needed an oxygen tank just to stay conscious. Even men, facing more than a week of eggs and potatoes, might consider giving quinoa one more chance. Things easily get mixed up.. Today, Ghoori and Monteblanco believe that the direct export model is spreading. People are always on the lookout to diversify theirPesach menu with healthy food choices. (especially with oats since both are gluten free). They wanted quinoa farmers to earn higher profits by exporting directly to international markets. Heat for a few minutes, then flip to brown on the second side. PDF PASSOVER 5783 I. These products DO NOT NEED special Kosher for Passover As quinoa ascended to fame, rabbis and kosher certifiers took a good look at its possible status as kosher for Passover. Join the Forward (in person in Aspen) for a wide-ranging conversation with Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of the Forward.