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 ”  72 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE it is from the grass family, not a legume at all. It has been our custom throughout the generations to check all rice three times before Pesah. While in Arkansas, I was informed that the crops are rotated yearly, and that it is very common to find grain in rice fields. Although there is equipment to remove this, it is not 100%. Please be advised that every year barley and wheat grains are found in the rice, check carefully. • Quinoa, Flax Seed and Hemp Seed: May be used after checking for other grains. Salt: Regular (Pure) and Coarse salt are permitted for Passover use without special supervision but check that dextrose and Polysorbates are not in the ingredients. Salt substitute: Carmel Brand no salt Spritz OUP, Freeda Free Salt: Spice of Life. Sodas: Sodas must have Kosher for Passover certification due to possible Hames in the flavoring base. Many varieties are readily available. 2 liter and cans Coke, Diet and Caffeine free Coke, Sprite: must have the OU-P on the cap (yellow). Pathmark & Shoprite: Orange, Cola & Lemonlime: OUP America Dry; Ginger Ale OUP Pepsi products must bear a KP on the cap; they are under the supervision of Rabbi Charlop. Soup Mixes: Beware containers bearing a “P” are often identical to the year-round variety! Soy Foods: while actual soybeans are permissible for most Sephardim, products made of soy, such as soy sauce, TVP, tofu and soy milk are forbidden. These products are made through extraction methods that use grain alcohol in the processing of the soybeans. Exception: (purchase before Passover):Vitasoy Brand Sansui Original Natural Soymilk (www. vitasoy-usa.com/ethnic/sansui_osd.html ) and Soy Dream Brand Original Unenriched Soy Milk (www.tastethedream.com/media/SDnutri_O.jpg) are hames free. - These brands and only these varieties. All others may actually contain hames! Seltzers: Any unflavored seltzer with KP certification is acceptable. Flavored Seltzers certified OU-P: Acme, America’s Choice, Pathmark and Shoprite brands. Spices: Important change! Due to recent changes in the spice industry, even pure spices require reliable kosher for Passover certification. Sugar: Any pure white granulated cane sugar may be purchased for Passover as long as dextrose or glucose are not listed in the ingredients. These may be derived from barley or wheat! Domino -OKP • Confectioner’s Sugar: does contain 3% corn starch but according to some Sephardic customs, may be permissible for Pesah. There are several varieties of Confectioners sugar without corn starch: OUP: Mishpacha and KAJ-P: Haddar brand. Canadian Confectioner Sugar is not permissible as it contains wheat starch instead of corn starch. • Vanilla Sugar: may contain grain alcohol and therefore, Passover supervision is required. • Brown sugar: Needs Passover Marking: Domino and Brownulated are OK-P. • Sweeteners: OU-P: Gefen and VIP Masters. Sweetie (Badatz) and Liebers (KFP) • Equal & Splenda: are not recommended for Sephardim by the OU . • Aguave Nectar: (a natural sweetener) Cucamonga Brand OKP Teas: Any unflavored, non-herbal regular tea bags are acceptable without special KFP: Due to a hames ingredient used in the decaf process, decaf varieties should be used only with supervision: (Salada Caffeine free is Hames) Exception: Lipton Decaf is okay without an OU-P • Instant Tea: Nestea Instant unflavored only. Regular & Decaf. No KP needed. • Herbal Teas: Need to be marked: OU-P: Bigelow, Sweet-Touch-Nee: Herbal Seren-I-T and Wissotzky- many varieties. Melaluca may be used without a Passover marking. G’Day: Star-K P Tomato Paste and Sauce: Passover supervision required. Due to flavored varieties of paste and sauce now being produced, the OK laboratories inform us that tomato products must have proper Pesah supervision. Mishpacha, Gefen, Glick’s , Haddar, Lieber’s and Unger’s - all with KFP certification. Throughout the year, Tomato products should only be used with a known reliable supervision, it has been discovered that certain packers of tomato products were producing tomato with (non-kosher) romano cheese sauce and then producing the crushed tomatoes, with no cleaning in between! Understandably this is not acceptable. Vegetables • Frozen: Several years ago, a new lighter cuisine heralded the introduction of frozen pasta and vegetable mixtures. Vegetable companies blanch veggies and pasta blends together, and then use the same equipment for plain vegetables. Further inquiries into the field have further led us to seriously question the use of frozen vegetables on Pesah. In addition, companies may purchase processed vegetables from another source and put their own label on the package. Codes provided by the company proved inaccurate, and the information was misleading. We highly recommend the use of fresh vegetables, despite the convenience of the frozen. • Peas and beans: will again be available for the Sephardic Community. Information regarding the questionable sources of “private label” vegetables for Pesah has led us to again produce JSOR certified legumes at the Seabrook Brothers Plant. The peas, peas & carrots, beans, okra, and black eyed peas will be available in one pound packages in the kosher stores for the Holiday with our label. Several companies made other frozen vegetables, including spinach, which are properly checked for insects and for Pesah. Imported from Israel, artichoke bottoms and Bamia (Okra) are reliably supervised by Rabbi Machpud or Badatz- Beit Yosef. Artichoke bottoms from Egypt must be marked OUP or have other Passover marking. Within the Sephardic Community, there are varied customs as to the use of dried beans, chick peas techina and corn. Consult your Rabbi for further information. If you are certain that it is your custom, these should be checked to insure that no grains are mixed in. • Dried Eggplant: These are imported from Turkey, where they are collected from different villages. The importer informed us that the local women scoop them out, hang them to dry, and then tie them in string. In the event that there is a rush to get them dried out, flour is put inside to draw out the moisture! Understandably, we can not recommend these for Passover. Japanese eggplant are a fine alternative, they are very long and slender, and can be easily cut in half and scooped out. • Pre-washed salad: Some brands use citric acid in the rinse water to balance the ph (to prevent wilting), and are not recommended. Chassalat from Israel provides insect free lettuce and herbs, rinse before using. Bodek, and Fresh Express must be used with Passover certification. All fresh Packaged salads (including Dole) bearing a Star-K are Kosher for Passover without the additional Passover symbol. All Romaine should be rinsed, even if it is marked. Small flies are attracted to lettuce, even if it is grown hydroponically. (The ones from Israel state clearly that the produce does not need inspection, but it must be rinsed.) If anyone is still using the unsupervised lettuce, please contact your Rabbi for direction how to properly check for insects. Alternatively, our updated article: The 2008 fruit & vegetable inspection guide can be found at www.jsor.org . • Canned Vegetables: Need supervision: Glick’s, Unger’s: Star K-P. Gefen, Mishpacha, Pathmark, Season and Shoprite..OUP Whipped Topping: Kinnert, Mishpacha & Rich’s are certified OU-P. Eden & Ungar brands Star-KP. Whiskeys: along with beers and many liqueurs are Hames and may not be consumed on Passover. They must be sold to a non-Jew through the Rabbi before Pesah. Wine: Please note some varieties of Manischewitz wine are not kosher for Passover. Check all wines- be certain that all are certified Kosher for Passover. • Non Mevushal Wines: Although preferable to use for the four cups, care must be taken that opened bottles are not touched by non-Jews. In a place that this is difficult, it may be preferable to use Yayin Mevushal, literally cooked wine. Consult your Rabbi. • Fruit Wines: Wine varieties that are made from other fruits, such as peaches, may have a question if the Beracha is Hagefen, making them unacceptable for the Seder. Usually, the proper blessing will be stated on the back of the bottle. Have a Joyous and Kosher Pesah Holiday! Rabbi Isaac Farhi Kashrut Coordinator This Pesah bulletin was dedicated in loving memory of Erwin M. Gemal A”H by his lovely wife Fortune & their children, grand children & great grand children JSOR Sephardic Passover Food List I IN