Kosher Blog

R’ Heinemann Recap: Part 2

Here are the last of my notes from Rabbi Moshe Heinemann’s talk last night on cutting-edge issues in kashrut (part one here). Errors are mine, and consult your rabbi before applying any of this information to your own life.

FRIDGES
For a refrigerator to operate properly, it must occasionally remove any frost that has built up along its refrigeration coils. Until recently, fridges would activate a heater on a uniform cycle, a specific number of minutes every so many hours, to melt the frost. Of course, this is quite inefficient — why heat the coils if the fridge hasn’t been opened all day? Federal regulations have since been enacted to decrease appliances’ overall energy use, and fridge manufacturers have responded with more delicate heating algorithms. A new fridge today will measure the amount of time the compressor has run, and the number of times the door has been opened, before activating the heater.

Obviously, this has serious implications for Shabbat usage — it’s not just a matter of unscrewing the light bulb anymore. Since a refrigerator’s sensors are directly affected by opening the door and the ensuing change in temperature, it would be prohibited to access the fridge on Shabbat. You might ask how this differs from halacha’s view on a home’s heating and air conditioning. The short answer is that outside air introduced through a door or window diffuses rapidly and is thus indirect enough not to be a concern — what halacha calls a “koach sheni.”

So, along with your oven and stove, your next refrigerator may require a certified Sabbath mode to force it into 20th-century, heat-every-eight-minutes operation.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL
Propylene glycol is an industrial emulsifier, commonly used by soda manufacturers to keep a beverage’s coloring from separating out of solution and migrating to the bottom of the bottle. It has always been considered an unproblematic ingredient from a kashrut standpoint, since it’s a delicious petroleum product.

Fortunately, our friends at Dow Chemical have found a way to use glycerin to manufacture propylene glycol. Glycerin can be refined from petroleum, vegetable oil, or animal fat, the cheapest source being animal (since it’s the least desirable from a marketing standpoint). When glycerin producers compete for customers, they’ll often sell animal-based glycerin to undercut the next guy’s price. To assure that the propylene glycol which emerges at the end of this process is kosher, the glycerin must now be certified.

Moral of the story — when a product “all of a sudden” requires kosher supervision, when it never did before, forces like this are likely afoot.

AGA OVENS
Star-K has recently certified for Shabbos/Yom-Tov use ovens produced by AGA. AGA ranges are unique in that they maintain at all times very specific temperatures in each of their separate oven compartments, utilizing lots of cast iron and lots of insulation to keep the heat in. The four-chamber model, for example, contains baking, simmering, roasting, and warming ovens, plus boiling, simmering, and warming plates on top. There are no dials. Obviously, this makes Shabbat and holiday use extremely straightforward, and even alleviates bishul akum issues since the heat source is always lit. Don’t call up your local appliance retailer just yet — AGA ovens go for between $6,000 – $15,000.

BISHUL AKUM & CANNED FOOD
(This one’s complicated, so I apologize again.) The prohibition of bishul akum applies to “prestigious” foods only, or foods that could be “served on a king’s table.” Industrial canning of vegetables naturally involves the use of heat, so the question arises of whether a Jew must be involved in the production. Of course, one must first ascertain whether canned foods are “prestigious.” The Star-K contacted a chef at the White House and asked if they’d ever use canned vegetables, like asparagus. The chef answered with a resounding “no.” But was the chef’s problem that the food wasn’t fresh, or that it had a poor taste? If freshness was the main issue, then the fresh asparagus would have been fit to serve before canning, and bishul akum prohibitions might remain. So that route was inconclusive, and they were left with more questions: do we consider a food’s prestige where it’s made, where it’s marketed, or where it’s used? Returning to our Chinese mushroom scenario, we have mushrooms canned in China … for a US company … which is shipping them for sale in Israel. In the end, the Star-K is machmir on bishul akum in every locale along the chain.

CUT FRUIT & FISH
One can assume that varieties of cut fruit sold year-round in a supermarket or other similar setting are probably cut with a dedicated knife, leaving the fruit kosher. Seasonal fruits, like watermelon, though, may be cut with knives also used in other areas, so when purchasing a watermelon portion, one should trim a small amount off the edges to maintain kashrut. Fish, too, may be considered similarly. If, for example, a whole, kosher fish has had its head and tail removed in a non-kosher fish market, we may trim away the cut edges with a kosher a knife and use the fish. (Since scalers can only be used on fish with scales, i.e. kosher fish, there are no kashrut concerns about the scaler’s use on non-kosher fish.) Most interestingly, we may assume that kosher fish which is cleaned and filleted in an (unsupervised) industrial setting is being manipulated with dedicated equipment only used for such (kosher) fish. (To learn how this material might apply to your own fish-buying practices, consult your rabbi.)

R’ Heinemann Recap, Part 1

My first batch of notes from Rabbi Moshe Heinemann’s lecture earlier tonight at the Young Israel of Brookline, on cutting-edge issues in kashrut. Any errors in the information below are my fault. (Besides, R’ Heinemann insisted that these are solely his opinions, and the only halacha that matters is from one’s own rabbi.)

SHEMITAH
Shemitah begins next year, which presents problems in the US with produce of Israeli origin, grown on Jewish lands. We must be careful only to purchase Israeli produce with a heksher. A custom in Jerusalem is to eat fruits and vegetables grown on Arab lands during this time, and the Star-K does likewise, having made agreements with Israel’s largest vegetable companies to only sell Arab produce. This causes an interesting economic situation: the price of normally cheap Arab produce doubles, and the price of Jewish produce drops. Since there’s generally less demand for Arab produce, Arabs simply don’t grow the quantities necessary to fulfill this unusual Israeli demand — and will sometimes purchase now-cheap Jewish produce to fulfill it, negating the entire shemitah-respecting effort.

As such, the Star-K has contracted with a French satellite company to take pictures of Arab farms every five minutes to discover any illicit deliveries of Jewish produce. The image resolution is high enough that a truck’s license plate can be read, and appropriate action may be taken.

BUGS
Insect infestation in produce is more of a problem today, not because of new chumrot or overzealous rabbis, but because of bugs’ increasing pesticide resistance and the government’s prohibition against using the levels of pesticide needed to kill this century’s uber-bugs. With stronger bugs, and fewer chemicals in our arsenal, there are simply more insects appearing in our food.

In response, the Star-K is refining a “leaf camera” system that can distinguish between a bug’s protein and a leaf’s carbohydrates. When installed in an industrial setting, lettuce leaves with detectable protein content can be pushed aside. Unfortunately, they’re not 100% sure it’ll work, and it still isn’t fast enough to satisfy industrial demands.

ORGANIC MEAT
An organic meat company approached the Star-K for certification, thinking that a heksher would attract more customers. The Star-K informed the company that about 80% of kosher slaughters are problem-free, and ultimately there’s a yield of 33% glatt kosher in a normal meat processing environment. Given that organically-raised animals are purported to be healthier, they estimated that an organic yield might be as high as 60-80% glatt. Before the Star-K agreed, they recommended that they observe the company’s existing non-kosher operations, and simply check the animals after slaughter to see if they’d have been glatt. The results were dismal: only 3% of the company’s organic beeves would have been considered glatt. Since they were raised without antibiotics, their livers were overwhelmed by parasites.

TROPICAL OILS FROM ASIA
Tropical oils are popular additives in shelf-stable baked goods, since they’re solid at room temperature. These days, the cheapest source of tropical oils is Asia, where the stuff is shipped out in massive, massive quantities. Before the breads and cakes hit your bakery’s shelves, the kashrut challenges have begun: the whole supply chain presents significant hurdles. The ships have huge carrying tanks, which may at any time be filled with kosher or non-kosher oils (i.e. animal fat). Because these fats become solid at room temperature, they must be heated during transit to stay liquid. When the ships arrive in the US, they unload their cargo into special terminals with heated storage tanks. One hot-water heating system may service up to ten tanks. From the coasts, the oils are sent by rail and truck (both, again, in heated tanks) to factories across the country.

Dealing with the ships is especially difficult since they’re quite resistant to kashrut oversight, but the Star-K has a lot of experience handling the trucks. Federal law prohibits the use of one tanker for both edible and non-edible liquids, but one tanker could easily transport alternating batches of kosher and non-kosher products. So the tanks need to be kashered, fine, but the cabs? They, too, present a problem. Since the pump used to fill and empty the tank needs a power source, it’s part of the cab, and not the tank. That must be kashered, too. Cabs are frequently swapped in and out — breakdowns, new drivers, etc. — so detailed record-keeping and tracking is key.

CHINA
According to R’ Heinemann, there are unique challenges in working with Chinese companies seeking kosher certification, because of the acceptability of deception within their business culture. For example, any foods made with glycerin — an animal byproduct — will render the endeavor mutually unprofitable, so the Star-K routinely asks for that information upfront. The Chinese company will say no — and when the rabbi arrives, lo and behold, the facility has 200,000 gallons of glycerin, and the company doesn’t think it’s a big deal. He says they’re not unlike Jews: a chuppah is called for 4:30, but it starts at 5 — does the family apologize to their guests? No, we just expect that a Jewish event won’t be on time!

Bugs are a particularly pervasive problem in China. Consider mushrooms. In the US, most mushrooms are grown in Pennsylvania, in underground caves where the temperature and humidity are constant year round. In such consistent conditions, mushrooms grow bug-free. In China, mushrooms are grown above-ground, and the mushroom industry is very much a mom-and-pop operation. An individual harvester will sell an individual basket of mushrooms to a produce company, where it’s mixed in with everyone else’s small batches. In this environment, widespread inspection for bugs (and use of kosher cutting tools) is near impossible.

Coming up in part 2: Appliances, propylene glycol, bishul akum of canned goods, use of cut fruit and fish.

R’ Heinemann to speak in Brookline

The Kollel of Greater Boston is advertising a lecture by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, rabbinical administrator of the Star-K, Wednesday, May 2, at 8:15pm. The event will take place at Young Israel of Brookline, 62 Green Street. The topic is “Cutting Edge Issues in Kashrus.”

The last time R’ Heinemann spoke in these parts was about five years ago. As I remember it, the topics he covered were kosher veal, Sabbath-mode appliances, and genetically-modified vegetables. He spent a great deal of time discussing the terrible conditions that veal calves are subjected to, but never ultimately passed judgment on the practice, just something about “Jewish housewives” preferring lighter-colored veal. He told a funny, if unfortunate, story about another “Jewish housewife” who, upon installing a Sabbath-mode oven, complemented the Star-K on finding a way to making cooking okay on Shabbat. (Note: It’s not okay.) And with regard to the vegetables … even when a tomato has turkey genes mixed in, if it looks like a tomato and it tastes like a tomato, then it’s still a pareve tomato.

2007 Boston Area Kosher Community Survey – Now Open!

Neil Rosenbaum and his Kosher Community Surveys LLC organization has just opened the second annual Boston Area Kosher Community Survey.

This survey is your chance to give your opinion about local kosher restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries. The on-line survey is located at boston.kosher-community-surveys.com. A full report of the results will be distributed to the community.

Questions and comments should be directed to Neil at neil@kosher-community-surveys.com

Beacon Kosher owner passes tragically

Some tragic news for Boston-area glatt-kosher community: Moshe Cohen, the young owner of Brookline’s Beacon Kosher, passed away suddenly early this morning. He is survived by his wife and several children.

More details at TheYeshivaWorld.com

Avenue Deli — Exclusive Preview

It’s here — the Gordon & Alperin “kosher strip mall” is finally entering its delicious phase two. The Kosher Blog had an insider’s preview tonight of Avenue Deli, 549 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA (under the supervision of Rabbi Aaron Hamaoui).

First, “deli” is such a limited term. While the restaurant has all our favorite deli standards — pastrami, corned beef, et al — the menu is dotted with so many other delicious choices like steak tips, hamburgers, kebabs, grilled panini, and hearty soups. But even such a menu is limiting, confides owner (and attentive chef) Ricardo Bosich.

He likes to wake up in the morning and think of new and fresh dishes to serve — so expect to see interesting, homemade specials listed.

Our dinner was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The hot corned beef and pastrami sandwiches (served on fresh bread from Bodavi Bakery next door) were both delicious, especially coming in from the bitter New England cold.

Reasonably priced, too — three dollars cheaper than Rubin’s. (Granted, Avenue Deli has counter service, but with Ricardo behind the counter, it’s a pleasure.)

And as a special treat, we were served a plate of grilled chimichurri-marinated steak. It looked so good, we forgot to take a photo before digging in…

The finishing touches are still being applied, so do call first and ask for the hours – 617-332-4170.

Milk Street disappoints

If last year’s community kosher survey is any indication, Milk Street Cafe is a fine restaurant. In general, I’ve concurred — their facilities, marketing materials, and catering operations have all been top notch. My lunch today, though, seriously shook my confidence in Milk Street’s abilities.

Strike 1: Asparagus soup. It smelled delicious and looked hearty, but with one spoonful, I frantically grabbed a napkin to spit it out. It was chock full of long, fibrous, gag-inducing strands, showing clearly that the cooked asparagus was never strained before being mixed with the other ingredients.

Strike 2: Napa panini. Completely imbalanced, the slippery contents fell from the sandwich time and again and the goat cheese was too overpowering — and I like goat cheese! What irked me the most was the roasted peppers — used with the skins still on. Yech.

Milk Street is a seasoned operation, celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Perhaps in all that time, they’ve forgetten these basics of culinary education?

Kosher in… Stoughton?

Attention IKEA shoppers… only minutes away from your favorite Swedish furniture mecca — and down the street from the Striar Jewish Community Center — is Eastern Massachusetts’s newest kosher spot. Accoridng to an e-mail sent to members of the Young Israel of Sharon, Deja Vu Cafe at 516 Washington Street, Stoughton (Route 138) is under the kosher supervision of Rabbi Mendi Horowitz from the Canton Chai Center (Chabad). The cafe serves Israeli food and ice cream.

I’m sure this is a welcome development for South Shore Jews.

Globe Staffer Reads KBlog (at least once)

From today’s Boston Globe Magazine:

Kosher-centric blogs have been abuzz about the news that Shalom Beijing, on Harvard Street in Brookline, has gone tref . . . As one blogger laments, “That leaves Boston with no source for kosher sushi.”. . . Being kosher takes “a lot of money,” [owner Jun] Yang says. “I don’t have money.” When asked about the loss of kosher sushi, Yang sounds frustrated: “I don’t need ideas; I need money.”

Sorry, Jabbett.

(The quotation is from “Side Dish,” by Alison Arnett.)

Shalom Beijing closing its doors

Just over the wire today from the Young Israel of Brookline mailing list, Harvard Street’s Shalom Beijing, a local kosher landmark for over ten years, is closing its doors. The last day it will operate as a kosher establishment is Tuesday, July 25.

Most critically, that leaves Boston with no source for kosher sushi. While I would not recommend that Boston’s next kosher venture be another pan-Asian restaurant, I think a nice kosher sushi joint would be a welcome addition.

UPDATE: According to a local resident, the owner and mashgiach have confirmed that “they are going treif after close of business Tuesday night.”