What is Popcorn Chametz?
In the Biblical Book of Exodus, God commands the Jewish people: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread." The term "chametz" refers to leavened or fermented grains, including rye, wheat, oats, spelt and barley. On Passover, religious Jews do not eat any food products that include those grains, except for specially made unleavened bread called "matza." For some Jews, custom dictates considering other types of grains as off-limits as well.
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Ashkanazi Traditions
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Eastern European (Ashkanazi) Jews have the additional custom of refraining from eating "kitniyot," or foods made from additional grains. Ashkanazic rabbis of the 13th century forbade the use of other grains during Passover because, they reasoned, these grains could also leaven and people could also make bread from these grains.
Corn Products Forbidden
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Among the products that the rabbis considered to come under the heading of "kitniyot" are rice, millet, legumes, peas, caraway, corn, fennel seed, mustard, peanuts, garlic and soybeans. In addition to banning the products themselves during Passover, the rabbis banned derivatives of these products.
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Corn Products
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Today, Orthodox Ashkanazi Jews will not eat corn or derivatives of corn on Passover. This includes corn flour, corn oil and popcorn. Sephardic Jews, Jews who come from North Africa, Asia, Baltic areas, the Mediterranean region and some other areas, do use corn and corn products during Passover.
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References
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