Plants

Soy is essentially kosher, but there are important considerations.

The holiday is celebrated with materials typically left on a threshing floor or winepress, such as straw, stalks, and reeds.

Question: I just got an e‑mail about celebrating the New Year for Trees in January. I don’t know about where you live, but where I live, it’s freezing, with plenty of snow covering the trees. If you want to celebrate the trees, do it in spring. Why now, r...

Why is it necessary for us to know the date of the “New Year for Trees”? The dispute: When is the New Year for Trees? And what lessons can we learn from the tree?

Question: What blessings should I say before and after eating rice? Answer: There are different opinions as to which is the blessing to be recited before eating rice: Some halachic authorities say it is mezonot; others say it is ha'adamah; yet others cont...

Yes, mushrooms are kosher. A mushroom is a fungus, and in general, natural fungi are kosher. Since bugs are not kosher, you should make sure that your mushrooms aren't infested with insects before eating them. Rinse the mushrooms and check a few samples t...

The correct blessing on cantaloupe is Ha'adamah—the blessing recited on "vegetables," or "produce from the ground." When determining the proper blessing to say on produce (other than the five grains – wheat, barley, spelt, oat and rye – or wine), our sole...

Through following these halachic guidelines, we make our gardens not only physically beautiful but spiritually delightful as well.

Rice is a kosher ingredient, but there are more particulars.

Quinoa is essentially kosher, but some considerations exist.