Quinoa | Imamother

BeershevaBubby

Thu, Mar 08 2007, 8:47 am

There's always a 'however'...

http://chareidi.shemayisrael.c.....a.htm

April 4, 2006
A Quinoa Update — The Gedolei Haposkim Prohibit It
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

For many years it was "common knowledge" that quinoa was permissible on Pesach based on an old psak by a member of the Beis Din of the Eida HaChareidis. Last year Yated tracked down the information and found that the dayan in question does not support the hetter to use it and the person in charge of that area in the kashrus division of the Eida HaChareidis (Badatz) says that quinoa is included in the gezeiroh of kitniyos on Pesach for Ashkenazi Jewry.

Last year after Pesach, the head of the kashrus of the Chicago Rabbinical Council came to Yerushalayim and visited the gedolei haposkim with samples of quinoa. They explained the nature of the plant and showed the samples.

The gedolei haposkim said that it is included under the general gezeiroh of kitniyos for Ashkenazi Jewry.

A spokesman for the kashrus division of the Chicago Rabbinical Council told Yated that even though Rabbi Gedaliah Schwartz, their av beis din, permits quinoa for Pesach use, as reported in last week's Yated, to the best of his knowledge no products endorsed by his organization for use on Pesach contain quinoa. He explained that quinoa is generally sold directly to the consumer and not used as part of a food manufacturing process. He also pointed out that other kashrus organizations in America approve quinoa for Pesach use, and that therefore consumers should be careful to read the labels if they want to be sure to avoid quinoa on Pesach.

And http://chareidi.shemayisrael.c.....a.htm
April 20, 2005
Quinoa Should Not be Used on Pesach
by M. Plaut

For our Pesach issue we received a very nice article on quinoa. For some years, it was widely believed that quinoa is permissible on Pesach. However in fact it is not to be used on Pesach, according to the Vaad Hakashrus of the Eida HaChareidis.

The article (see accompanying article) included the basic reference for its permissibility on Pesach: a ruling given by HaRav Blau of Yerushalayim in 5756 (1996). However when we called to verify this ruling, as we routinely do, we got a surprise.

HaRav Blau told us unequivocally that he does not give out any halachic information about quinoa and refused to discuss the issue any further.

We contacted the Vaad Hakashrus of the Eida HaChareidis in Yerushalayim (with which HaRav Blau is affiliated) and they referred us to Rav Brizel, who is in charge of "Spices and Kitniyos" and is thus their expert on this matter. He was very helpful in an interview, but he said that he believes that it is included in the general gezeiroh of kitniyos that the Ashkenazim follow for Pesach.

He told us that he had been researching quinoa for years. He said that he had spoken about the matter to HaRav Blau more than a year ago, and HaRav Blau said that he does not know anything about quinoa. Rav Brizel said that he has been carrying around a picture of the plant for more than a year but still does not feel that he knows all that he would like to know. Still, he felt that it would be included within the halachic boundaries of kitniyos. (rest of the article can be seen by going to the site)

The problem is, I find it difficult to believe that Rav Blau would allow a psak, with his name attached to it to stand for 14 years if there were actually a problem with it. The fact that he refuses to discuss it makes me wonder if it's all about politics.

That aside, if quinoa has the same classification as potatoes and the Rabbis suddenly decide that quinoa is kitniyot after all, then they should also paskin that potatoes are forbidden to Ashkenazi Jews as well. You can't choose one without choosing the other.