Kosher L’Pesach Grains

A sheilah was asked by my Rav last Pesach and the answer was it was not considered a grain. Maybe because it is something new and not part of shivas haminim.

we also used it last yr…it’s in the grass family. quinoa tabboule, yum!

CYLOR. I know my local rav (reputable, just want to stay “anon”) isn’t keen on it for Pesach.

Jose, aries may have meant to write “five grains” rather than shivas haminim. The five grains–wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt–all generally require al hamichyah or bircas hamazon as a bracha acharonah. And yes, all five grains can become chometz.

wikipedia:

Quinoa, a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds.

from the OU website:

Rabbinical authorities disagree as to whether or not quinoa, the seeds of the goosefoot plant, is kitniyos. Those who permit it do so because it was not known to Jews when it became accepted to refrain from kitniyos. Others disagree and argue that it should be prohibited because it resembles other forms of kitniyos. Even if you follow the lenient opinion, we recommend sifting through your quinoa before using it to ensure that there are no chametz grains mixed in.

from the Star-K website:

Quinoa was determined to be Kosher L’Pesach. It is not related to the chameishes minei dagan-five types of grain products, nor to millet or rice. Quinoa is a member of the “goose foot” family, which includes sugar beets and beet root. The Star-K tested quinoa to see if it would rise. The result was as Chazal termed, sirchon; the quinoa decayed – it did not rise. Furthermore, quinoa does not grow in the vicinity of chometz, nor does its growth resemble kitniyos (see Igros Moshe O.C. Vol. 3, 63). Therefore, quinoa is 100% Kosher L’Pesach. It is recommended to purchase from manufacturers that do not process Chometz grains. Consumers are urged to carefully check grains before Pesach for extraneous matter.

from the CRC website (linked to in earlier post):

This last caveat poses a particular concern for amaranth and quinoa, as these small seeds are often packaged on the same equipment as other small grains such as wheat, barley and oats, which means that they can only be used after being carefully checked that no chametz grains are mixed in. In practice, most consumers are not familiar enough with the difference between one grain and the next to be able to perform this check, and as a result they cannot use them for Pesach.

This year, we were once again able to confirm that the whole grain quinoa sold under the Ancient Harvest and Trader Joe brand names, and bearing the KOAOA/Half- Moon K kosher certification, are produced in plants which do not package chametz grains, and are therefore suitable for Pesach use. [This does not apply to the quinoa flour or flakes]. It is worth verifying this information before each Pesach to make sure the information remains accurate.

Thanks, Mod 80, for your extensive research!

BTW, what is amaranth? I never heard of it.

Ooomis,

The Amaranthaceae are a large family of plants, about 100 genera and a couple thousand species, in the super-family of the Magnoloids. The genus Amaranth includes dozens of species which exhibit wide variability in form and color. You may be familiar with several species referred to as pigweed.

Botanically, morphologically and genetically they are very distant from the grasses – which include all chametz. They are very slightly closer to the legumes. If we were talking about animals the distance between amaranth and chametz would be, say, dogs to sea urchins – both animals with circulatory systems. Amaranth to peanuts would be cockapoos to cockatoos – same number of limbs, both have a backbone.

The species which are normally eaten are native to Central and South America but are now cultivated all over the world. The leaves are normally eaten although the seeds have become popular again due to their high protein content – particularly rich in lysine – and ease of digestion for celiac disease sufferers.

I think I remember getting a flower called by that name in a bouquet. I’ll stick to the farfel.

i found this:

Based upon these considerations, the custom of the Jews in Europe (Ashkenazim) developed to avoid eating Kitniyos, and this custom was codified by the Ramah (ibid.).

Would this be after the late 15th century?

Perhaps the Minhag developed over a century or so?

Moderator 80,

Thanks!

A quick Google search found the following by Gail Lichtman in the Jerusalem Post:

“According to Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, in his authoritative work Moadim Behalacha, the earliest reference in halachic literature prohibiting eating kitniyot during Pessah is found in the 13th-century book Sefer Mitzvot Katan (“A Little Book of Mitzvot”) by the Ashkenazi sage Rabbi Yitzhak Ben-Yosef of Corbeil. Rabbi Yitzhak refers to the prohibition, not as a new custom but as one “from the times of previous sages,” indicating that the custom was already well-established in his time. “

This was long before Columbus so I don’t see how maize could have been part of that original prohibition unless the Ashkenazic sages had nevuah to prohibit something no Jew had ever seen!

from wikipedia:

Corn is a term for some cereal crops or the corresponding grain, such as:

* Maize

* Wheat

* Barley

The Mordechai is the earliest source of the minhag which was not yet widely established in his days (d. 1298). The Rosh, his contemporary did not hold of it.

One reason given is that kitniyos could be ground into flour resembling the 5 grains. Therefore corn SHOULD be included. Peanuts are a legume, the original minhag was not to eat legumes, so it SHOULD also be included.