Kosher For Passover Chocolates, Cranberries, Matzoh, parve and seder recipes

Chocolates

 I was invited to the second Seder night. I took kosher for Passover chocolates. I had asked the hostess whether she wanted food, drink, flowers, a pot plant, a scarf or accessory. She said, kosher for Passover chocolates. (See my previous post on this.) Kosher for Passover wine, like kosher for Passover chocolates, requires tracking down a physical or online shop before the close for Passover.

When I arrived at the Seder meal, the hostess asked me, 'Are the chocolates parve?' 

I misheard. I thought she said, Passover or pesach. I said, 'Yes, you can see the label.'

Parve

Parve, or Parveh, Yiddish for neutral, means no milk (nor meat) products, so can be eaten with either milk meals, or meals containing meat. 

(Kosher food laws cover not only the ban on eating pig meat, but also the treatment of meat to remove blood. You are supposed to kill animals as quickly as possible with a sharp knife to lessen their pain. Then there's the cost of inspecting meat to be sure the animal is not diseased. Plus not eating shellfish. Finally, not eating milk and meat products at the same meal, to prevent killing the animal in front of the parent, which I have seen on video done in streets in modern times for festivals, and meat stewed in milk is served all year as it is the national dish of Jordan. You 'build a fence around the law'.)

We were having a meat meal. The hostess checked the labelling. I had noticed the word parve on some of the chocolate packages, but not thought about it. Since parve chocolates contain no milk and no meat, that might make them acceptable to vegans. Jews and vegans also avoid animal sourced gelatin, used to refine wine, which is one feature of kosher wine.

Kosher.com will send you a recipe book to download if you want it.

Verdict On Kosher Chocolates

Chocolate Truffles. Shufra label. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The wrapped chocolates are good if you like to be sure nobody has touched the food you are eating. They look smartest for a gift.

Chocolate Covered Cranberries

But my favourites were the chocolate covered cranberries. Tasty. Seemed healthier. More unusual. No wrapping paper making litter. You can diet on just one, or keep going back for more as there are lots of them.

Chocolate Coated Cranberries. Label Medley Foods. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites On Parve

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareve

https://www.kosher.com/article/what-do-the-different-kosher-certification-symbols-mean-960/