What is Kitniyot?
Also spelled / known as: Kitnios, Legumes, Rice on Passover
In brief
Kitniyot (literally 'small things') are legumes, rice, corn, and similar grains that Ashkenazi Jews traditionally avoid during Passover, though Sephardi Jews generally permit them.
Kitniyot explained
Kitniyot refers to a category of foods — primarily legumes (beans, lentils, peas), rice, corn, soy, and similar products — that Ashkenazi Jews traditionally abstain from during Passover. The prohibition is not biblical but rather a custom (minhag) instituted in medieval times to prevent confusion with chametz (leavened grain products) or accidental mixing with the five forbidden grains. Sephardi Jews generally do not observe this custom and eat kitniyot on Passover.
Real-world examples
Rice, corn, beans, lentils, peas, and soybeans are all kitniyot
Sephardic Passover meals typically include rice dishes
Ashkenazi Passover foods avoid kitniyot: no rice, no beans, no corn syrup
Quinoa is a relatively new addition — most authorities now permit it for Ashkenazim
Context & nuance
The kitniyot prohibition is one of the most visible differences between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Passover practice. The Ashkenazi custom, originating in 13th-century Europe, was adopted to avoid any possibility of mistaking kitniyot (which can look similar to grains or be ground into flour) with actual chametz. In 2015, the Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative) ruled that Ashkenazi Conservative Jews could eat kitniyot. However, Orthodox Ashkenazim continue the traditional practice. Oils made from kitniyot (like corn oil) are also prohibited for Ashkenazim on Pesach.
Frequently asked questions
- What are kitniyot?
- Kitniyot are legumes, rice, corn, and similar grains that Ashkenazi Jews traditionally do not eat during Passover. The category includes beans, lentils, peas, rice, corn, soy, and products derived from them, along with their oils.
- Can Sephardi Jews eat rice on Passover?
- Yes. Most Sephardi Jews eat rice and other kitniyot on Passover, following a different tradition than Ashkenazim. Rice dishes are common in Sephardic Passover meals. The Ashkenazi kitniyot prohibition is a custom that didn't extend to Sephardi communities.
- Is quinoa kitniyot?
- Most contemporary halachic authorities have ruled that quinoa is NOT kitniyot because it was unknown to the rabbis who established the custom and is botanically distinct from the grains and legumes it was meant to include. Many Ashkenazim now eat quinoa on Passover under kosher-for-Passover certification.
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Related terms
Kosher for Passover
Kosher for Passover products meet both regular kashrut standards AND the stricter Passover requirements — containing no chametz (leavened grain products) and, for Ashkenazim, no kitniyot (legumes, rice, corn).
Chametz
Chametz is any leavened food made from the five grains — wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt — that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes without being baked; it is strictly forbidden during the eight days of Passover.
Kashrut
Kashrut is the body of Jewish dietary law derived from the Torah, defining which foods are permitted (kosher) and forbidden (treif), how animals must be slaughtered, and how meat and dairy must be kept separate.
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