Quinoa, Kosher or Not?

Monday, 18 April 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Quinoa wasn’t around when the Jews escaped from Egypt. And because it had yet to be discovered, quinoa isn’t on lists of leavened grains forbidden from the Passover table—but does that omission mean the grain is actually kosher?  The New York Times says the grain has been heralded as a welcome addition to the Seder table in recent years. But some rabbis have questioned whether it meets requirements for the holy dinner. There’s a another problem: Because quinoa has become popular in recent years, many more farmers have added the crop to their planting lineup; experts warn that even if quinoa is deemed kosher, it could easily be mixed with or processed by the same machines that handle forbidden grains like wheat and barley.