Are cashews kosher for Passover

Answer 1

Yes. Rav Moshe Feinstein even held that they are NOT "kitneyot" (a category which Ashkenasi Jews specifically do not eat on Passover) which means that all Jews may, theoretically, eat them on Passover.

However, since some Jews have the custom NOT to eat peanuts, it is unusual to find peanuts and peanut products with a kosher certification for Passover. Thus, although technically, eating them would be fine for most of us, practically speaking to actually do so while keeping kosher for Passover is difficult.

If you are considering spreading peanut butter on your matzoh, please remember that most commercial brands of peanut butter, even those with kosher supervision, contain corn syrup sweetners or other ingredients that are kitneyot.

Answer 2

Though they look similar to peanuts - which are not considered kosher for Passover by the majority of Ashkenazi Jews - cashews are kosher for Passover.

The reason for this is that peanuts are not, in fact, nuts - they're legumes, as are peas and beans. Whereas peas and beans do not fall into the Five Grains category (wheat, oats, spelt, barley, rye, as listed in the Torah) known as chametz that are forbidden to us at this time of year, they are classified as kitniyot - that is, "small things." Kitniyot are not forbidden by the Torah but, as flour that could be confused with flour from the Five Grains, a rabbinic decision was made to also avoid these. There is, however, no religious reason to avoid them. Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews eat them during Passover and nowadays many Ashkenazi (especially those following vegetarian or vegan diets) do too.

Cashews, however, are not legumes - they're nuts, and all nuts are kosher for Passover.

Answer 3

No you can't it isn't acceptable at all.

Answer:

Ashkenazim (Jews of European descent) do not eat peanuts on Passover. Sephardim (Eastern Jews) are allowed to. Peanuts are legumes, not forbidden as leavening; and some Jews accepted a stringency to avoid them.

Answer 4

All nuts can be eaten during Passover except for peanuts - this is because it is in fact a legume (peas and beans) rather than an actual nut, and as such is forbidden to Jews of Ashkenazi descent (from Northern and Eastern Europe) because of the tradition of kitniyot. Kitniyot, literally meaning "small things," came about because beans can be made into flour, which was considered to increase the likelhood of accidentally eating food made from flour produced from wheat, spelt, barley, rye or oats - the five grains deemed chametz that all Jews do not eat during Passover.

Sephardic Jews - from North Africa, Spain and Portugal - do not have this tradition and can eat any peas, beans and peanuts they wish during the holiday. In modern times, many Ashkenazi Jews have also begun to do so though they still avoid chametz, especially if they are vegetarian/vegan because legumes form an important source of protein for people on these diets.

Answer 5

Yes, they are.