I can’t believe it’s not kosher
I thought I had it tough, giving up dairy for Lent*.
Turns out our Jewish friends observing Passover (Mar 28 – Apr 6) have a much more difficult task, avoiding many staple items, particularly chametz – bread, grain and leavened products. They also relinquish corn, rice, peanuts, buckwheat (that’s soba), mustard & poppy seeds, alcohol, all beans (including tofu), peas and chickpeas. (Judging by the unhappy cat below, a lack of peas not actually be a problem). Even the childhood favourite Play-Doh is out for the duration of the festival.
Why so strict, you ask? Blogging Rabbi Paul Kipnes describes chametz as being ‘full of air – or perhaps full of itself’, quoting Philo, a Greek-Jewish philosopher who said chametz is a form of pride. Rabbi Paul explains:
Removing chametz on Passover from our homes, our lives, our families, is a struggle between who we really are now and who we can be, once we strip away all the trappings of self-importance.
(Something tells me I would’ve stuck to my Lenten promise had I considered it in such insightful terms and it represented ditching inflated pride, as opposed to a daily chocolate habit).
Whereas once chametz items were actually thrown out (or thrown on a massive bonfire) in preparation for Passover, today’s modern folk can simply sell their leavened goods for a nominal fee. Sydney restaurateur/aspiring politico Peter Doyle paid AU$200 to buy the leavened products (& alcohol!) from thousands of Jewish families in Australia. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald about his short-lived bounty, Doyle said:
I have free access to it and I can go into anyone’s home and take what I want.
Awesome. But as he’s a upstanding, conservative guy hoping to make it big with the Liberals, he’s agreed to return the chametz at the end of Passover. Rabbi Paul, on the other hand, has announced it’s okay to eat rice and beans, which means vegan Jews will actually have something other than matzo (unleavened bread) to eat.
And for those in the US who aren’t sure when Passover is about to occur, keep your eyes on the supermarket drinks aisle. Coke caps go yellow for a short period every year to signify the use of sucrose (sugar) in place of high fructose corn syrup – you know, the stuff that makes American chocolate taste kinda funky. According to Chemical & Engineering News, Coke was one of the first major brands to go kosher back in the 30s, with the certifying rabbis having to first promise to never reveal the secret ingredient.
And if anyone (who isn’t Jewish) is craving a New Coke, head to Yap or American Samoa. They actually still drink it.
Disclaimer: I am not Jewish. In fact, save for my occasional visits to Church on significant holidays (and that pesky pilgrimage across Spain), I’m rather lackadaisical with my faith. Please let me know if there are any errors in the above, or if you have any preferences between sugar Coke and the corn syrup stuff.
*Just don’t tell Jesus about Wednesday night’s mac&cheese. The Regent in Kensal Green has got it goin’ on.
