Basic Yoshon Guidelines

Basic Yoshon Guidelines

What Is required to be Yoshon?

1. There is a halacha (law) brought down in Shulchan Aruch which states that one should only consume grains and grain byproducts that are yoshon. Yoshon refers to grain which began to grow before Pesach. If the grain began to grow after Passover, it is referred to as chodosh. According to this halacha, chodosh is prohibited until the following Passover.
2. There are five grains which are subject to the laws of yoshon: wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats. Any product which contains the above-mentioned grain must be certified as yoshon.
3. In order for a product to be certified as yoshon, all ingredients included in it must be yoshon. For example, if multiple grain products are used in one item, all must be yoshon. Suppose you have a multi-grain bagel which is baked with yoshon flours. If the bagel is topped with grains such as oats, the topping grains must be yoshon as well.
4. Gluten free products are not necessarily exempt from yoshon products. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but are one of the five grains subject to the halachos of yoshon.

We are pleased announce that most MK bakeries are certified yoshon on their baked goods.

Products produced in Israel with a reliable hechser are yoshon. Please refer to the link for a list of various hechsherim. https://yoshon.com/hechsher-info/

Foods that are not subject to Yoshon

1. As mentioned above, foods that are not derived from or that do not contain any grain products are not subject to the halachos of yoshon.
2. Rice and quinoa are not grains subject to yoshon. Semolina flour is subject to the halachos of yoshon and should therefore be verified in advance of the yoshon season. Couscous is subject to the halachos of yoshon, as it is produced from semolina (durum) flour.
3. Aged whisky is always yoshon. Although whisky is derived from grain, its age ensures its yoshon status.
4. Despite its misleading name, buckwheat is not a grain (and certainly not a wheat derivative) and therefore is not subject to the halachos of yoshon.
5. Kasha, corn and millet are not subject to the halachos of yoshon.

Various Foods

1. Some common examples of foods which pose a chodosh concern: Barley, bread, baguette, breadcrumbs, breaded fish sticks, couscous, cookies, cakes, dough conditioner, pie crust, puff dough, panko, pasta, soya sauce, tempura, licorice, mock crab, veggie burgers, and wheat grains.
2. Coated french fries and spicy french fries contain flour and must be yoshon.
3. Even when used only as a thickening agent (ie, in soups and gravies), flour still must be yoshon.
4. Flour used in candies must be yoshon. Candies that were not verified should be assumed to be Chodosh. Twizzlers and sour sticks contain flour but are both certified yoshon.

Frying and Cooking

1. Oil used to fry chodosh products should not be reused to fry yoshon products, even if the item being fried does not contain any wheat. A common example is frying french fries in oil that was previously used to fry a non-Yoshon breaded chicken.
2. Food boiled in water which previously boiled chodosh foods should not be used to cook yoshon. Ideally, separate pots should be used.