Grains are the quiet certification problem: insect infestation is a real halachic concern in stored bulk grain, and packaged grain mixes carry seasoning packets that put dairy or meat status on something you assumed was neutral. Almost no independent grain house certifies clearly enough to be worth naming, so this shelf is one maker rather than five. That's the honest state of the field, and this one is genuinely good.
Published July 2026 · Updated 7 Jul 2026
A family business that started as a spice cart in 1906 and now runs out of Clifton, New Jersey, making ancient grains, couscous, basmati, quinoa pasta, and gluten-free flours alongside 60-odd spices. All products are certified kosher by both the Orthodox Union and the Chicago Rabbinical Council, and the line is dairy-free with no additives or preservatives. Their quinoa pasta is made from 100% quinoa flour rather than a wheat blend.
Why it's worth findingFlavored grain mixes almost always hide their status in the seasoning packet; a dual-certified, additive-free line settles the question for the whole pantry at once.
See it at Pereg Natural Foods →This seat's open on purpose — we won't pad the list to hit a number. If you ship real kosher grains, quinoa & couscous direct, it's earned, not sold.
Add your brand →Two reasons. Insects in stored grain are a genuine kashrut concern, and certifiers require checking and sieving protocols at the packing house. And most grains don't arrive plain — couscous, rice pilaf, and grain blends come with seasoning packets that can carry dairy powders, meat-based flavorings, or non-kosher processing aids that change the status of the whole box.
Not automatically, and the year-round certification on a bag doesn't answer it. Quinoa isn't one of the five grains that become chametz, but it sat under the kitniyot custom for years; the OU and other agencies now certify specific quinoa lots for Passover after verifying they weren't processed near grain. If you need it for Pesach, look for an explicit Passover certification on that specific package.
Kitniyot is the Ashkenazi custom of avoiding rice, corn, legumes, and similar foods during Passover, on top of the biblical chametz prohibition. Sephardi communities generally eat them. It's a custom, not a prohibition, and it only applies during Passover — the rest of the year rice and legumes are unremarkable for everyone.
Whole grains and anything with the germ intact (farro, freekeh, whole wheat couscous) have oil in them and go stale or rancid within a few months at room temperature. Airtight containers in a cool pantry for a season, the freezer beyond that. White rice and refined couscous are much more forgiving and will sit for a year or more without complaint.
Make or grow real kosher grains, quinoa & couscous and think you belong here? Tell us → — features are on merit, never for sale.
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