Quinoa for Passover: Kashrut Debate or Power Struggle?
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Quinoa
The two most widely-known kosher certification agencies are battling it out over whether the grain quinoa, a life-save for those on a gluten-free diet, is kosher for Passover.
The Baltimore-based Star K kosher agency has said that Quinoa is not “kitniyot,” one of the grains that Ashkenazi rabbis forbid on Passover, while the venerable Orthodox Union’s OU kosher division says it is.
The prohibition on eating kitniyot, such as peas, corn, and green beans, has been challenged by an increasing number of Jews in recent years. The prohibition is based on the lifestyle of 500 years ago when open sacks of legumes stood next to wheat in stores. If a tiny bit of wheat were to fall in the sack of legumes, it could ferment and cause the entire sack to be considered chametz and forbidden by the Torah to be eaten on Passover.
Lifestyles have changed, but the minhag, or custom, remains, and the rabbis explain that one should almost never cancel a ruling of Torah sages just because conditions have changed.
However, some have expanded the ban to include foods that were not in the original ruling, sparking an argument among rabbis.
Decades ago, many rabbis ruled that peanuts were kitniyot, until it was pointed out to them that they simply did not correctly understand the meaning of a legume.
Similarly, soybeans were not around 500 years ago, and many, if not most, Ashkenazi Jews do not even use soybean oil, even though the late Chief Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook allowed its use.
A recent book In Hebrew, “Without Fear of Kitniyot” and authorized by Hevron-Kiryat Arba Rabbi Dov Lior, discusses the rulings on prohibiting on Passover the use of certain kitniyot derivatives such as soybean oil. The author writes that those who think “it is good to be strict” do not necessarily receive a blessing for their severity.
Now comes quinoa, “the mother of all grains,” which by all definitions is not a legume and certainly not a grain,
So what could be the problem?
Well, it seems that in South America, where it is grown, a wind might blow a grain of barley into cultivated rows of quinoa. Barely, like wheat, is prohibited by the Torah for use on Passover,
That is enough for the OU to rule that quinoa is not kosher for Passover, while Star K totally debunks the reasoning.
“Rav Moshe Feinstein said we weren’t to add on to the rules of kitniyot, so I don’t know why anyone would,” said Rabbi Tzvi Rosen of Star-K, referring to the esteemed posek of Jewish religious law who died in 1986. “And what’s more telling of this ridiculous debate is that quinoa is a seed, not a legume,” he told JTA.
Quinoa is known for its high nutrient quality and as an alternative for those following a gluten-free diet. But quinoa is not a grain at all. It’s a member of the goosefoot family, and closely related to spinach and beets, making a very good substitute on Passover for the Torah-prohibited grains of wheat, oats, rye, spelt and barley.
That could change, however, with the world’s major kosher certifier refusing to give quinoa its Passover seal of approval.
Perhaps adopting the line of “when in doubt, be strict,” Rabbi Genack said, “We can’t certify quinoa because it looks like a grain and people might get confused. It’s a disputed food, so we can’t hold an opinion, and we don’t certify it. Those who rely on the OU for a kashrut just won’t have quinoa on Passover.”
Rabbi Rosen said the Star-K certifies only the quinoa that has no other grains growing nearby. This year, for the first time, the company sent supervisors to South America to supervise the harvesting, sifting and packaging of the product.
“Whenever there’s a new age food, there’s always a fight between kosher factions,” Rabbi Rosen 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. Quinoa is the least of our problems.”
The argument, which could be over “who calls the shots” rather than a pure understanding of kosher status of foods that are not prohibited on Passover by the Torah.
tell a friendAbout the Author: Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu is a graduate in journalism and economics from The George Washington University. He has worked as a cub reporter in rural Virginia and as senior copy editor for major Canadian metropolitan dailies. Tzvi wrote for Arutz Sheva for several years before joining the Jewish Press.
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Classifying quinoa as "kitniyot" is the ultimate stupidity. Rav Moshe made his psak, and the OU decides it's not good enough? If they can't get this one right, why trust them on anything else?
Since quinoa is in the same family as spinach and beets, which are vegetables, then it's also a vegetables. Vegetables are kosher. End of debate.
If it's kitniyot, it is kosher for Sephardim anyway. I have never understood how something can be kosher for Pesach for some Jews but not others. Ridiculous, IMHO.
It seems one can follow the O-U rabbis, or one can follow the Star-K rabbis. One should probably do what's done in his/her community and follow the local orthodox rabbi. In any case, we're talking about ONE WEEK, with maybe a few days ahead of it. Is it really a necessity to eat quinoa during that week? I'm sure that the traditional foods that our parents & grandparents prepared didn't include quinoa. Let's quit arguing.
Normally, I'd agree with that decision. My family suffers from many dietary restrictions due to health issues. I have a gluten-free vegan in my family and quinoa really helps fill the protein gap. If there appeared to be a reasoned response from OU, I might buy the prohibition, but there isn't — and the fact that another reputable Orthodox organization sanctions its use, why continue to question whether or not it's proper.
Star K says quinoa is kosher for Passover. The OU says it is not, and many Jews are confused. But what about meat and other animal products? More and more Jews are considering how the production and consumption of meat, dairy products and eggs during Passover violate basic Jewish mandates to take care of our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources,
and help hungry people. Passover, the festival of freedom, is an ideal time to free ourselves from eating habits that are so harmful to our health and that of the planet.
For further information about Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, please visit the website of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (www.JewishVeg.com) and please see our acclaimed documentary "A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World" at ASacedDuty.com.
That's nice, but it has nothing to do with quinoa.
Yes, Alan, but my point is that some Jews commendably go to very extensive lengths to avoid consuming any chametz, but they are ignoring many very important mitzvot by eating meat and other animal products, and in the process endangering ther health and that of our imperiled planet.
I am curious – can you tell me specifically what "very important mitzvot" am I ignoring by "eating meat and other animal products?" (Full disclosure – I am a meat eater; my wife and one child are vegan.)
Eight days without quinoa. That's real meseras nefesh.
I'm eating quinoa for Pesach and I wish the kitniyot issue would go away. I am all for Rabbi Golinkin's opinion but won't do it yet.
If your Poskim are the OU then you cannot eat, if your Poskim are the Star K then you can eat.
Different opinions both valid.However the individual should be consistant, rabbi hopping is inconsistant.
Rabbi hopping is the method by which people settle on the rabbi with whom they are most comfortable. Unless they are are still worshipping at the shul they attended as a child, I'd say rabbi hopping is the norm.
pretty hard for something to be kitniyot since it's from the new world. I also disagree with corn being kitniyot on the same basis. *IF* and only if your family has the mesorah can you assume a position in Torah.
regarding that which was not present at Sinai, Mr. Genack says "ppl might get confused" about what exactly? we might suddenly confuse quinoa with yeast and pork and donkey milk? for all he knows the Inca had contact with aliens and it's a grain from another planet.
quinoa is not even technically a full-fledged grain, botanically speaking. it's closest to a sunflower seed. one could not make matzah with it, as the primary ingredient, that would be acceptable for the bracha "hamotzi". however, as a secondary ingredient, it would be acceptable.
the Torah says nothing regarding a ban on kitniyot, only chametz and s'or. the Ashkenazi ban on kitniyot was a takanah added after the fact for the sake of trade in non-Jewish countries. that problem has largely past. it's the 21st century, for G-d's sake.
personally, I am concerned that the OU has become a corrupt American business.