Consumer Kosher Articles
Gluten-Free Chickpea Pasta
The gluten-free market is growing. A primary driver of this expansion is the rising number of people adopting a protein-rich plant-based diet. Flour substitutes that are plant-based and protein-rich, like chickpea flour, are being used to make pasta. This is just another wonderful development for gluten-free consumers who also have the option to benefit from […]
Yemenite Breads
Not so long ago, we traversed the area of cholent. One could say that a “close sister” to cholent is Yemenite breads, especially kubaneh and jachnun, as they are heated from Friday night until the next day. I had the privilege to speak with Doreet Jehassi, owner of The Ma’lawah Bar in Northern California, who […]
Vegetarian Casings
In an exciting development, certain vegetarian casings from Europe are now OU kosher-certified. This will allow kosher-producing hot dog companies and consumers to avoid casings that are usually made of collagen, which are proteins extracted from cow hides that weren’t slaughtered properly. If slaughtered properly, then the collagen from the cow hides would be kosher, […]
Nutritious and Savory Kosher Honey
As Rosh Hashanah approaches, honey takes center stage. Incredibly, kosher honey comes from the bee, a non-kosher animal. The Talmud’s explanation for why it is permissible to eat reveals a deeper message relevant to the Jewish New Year. The journey into the world of honey is vast and involved, but important, as it brings to […]
Pas Yisroel List For 5783 – 2022
Updated September 19, 2022 – Elul 5782 The Tur (Orach Chaim, Siman 603), based upon the Talmud Yerushalmi, cites the custom for Jews to be stringent during the Aseres Yimei Teshuva to eat exclusively ‘Pas Yisroel’ bread. Even those Jews who generally do not exclusively eat ‘Pas Yisroel’ are encouraged to accept this practice during […]
Pruzbul: Ask the Rabbi
I have a friend who owes me 1,000 dollars. He told me that once Rosh Hashanah comes, he will not have to pay me back. Is that true? To answer we have to start from the beginning. The Torah says in Devarim (Chapter 15, verses 1-2) “at the end of seven years…every creditor should release […]
English Pruzbul Form for Shemittah
Pruzbul Form In the presence of the undersigned three judges (dayanim), duly constituting a Bet Din, there appeared before us who declared before us as follows: “I hereby turn over to you judges [insert names] , and , in this place [insert place name] all of the debts owed to me, whether […]
Summary of OU Insect Checking Policies
Buy the new 5th Edition Guide to Fruits and Vegetables Fruits, vegetables or berries that are expected to possibly contain insects must be checked prior to use. The minimum rate of infestation that requires checking is 10%. Magnification is not required when checking, although it may be used as an aid for training purposes or […]
The Enduring Cholent
As a child, I remember being invited with my class to our rebbe’s house for Shabbos. What stood out to me about that Shabbos was the hot dogs in the cholent. It was my first introduction to this staple Jewish dish. In high school, I would eat the cholent my mother made which had all […]
The World of Chocolate
Did you know white chocolate is not really chocolate, chocolate was once used as a currency, and Benjamin Franklin sold chocolate in his print shop? These are just some of the quirky facts surrounding chocolate. Today, we are focusing on the chic OU kosher-certified company that produces kosher chocolate bars, “HU,” short for human, that […]