Kosher
YES! The PoshMallow is certified Kosher year-round by Capitol Kashruth - Vaad HaRabbanim of Greater Washington.
For Pesach, our kitchen and work spaces are checked and kashered by the Vaad - and of course - we only use and create Kosher for Passover hechshered products during that time of year. Our regular, year-round marshmallows are not certified for Passover - ONLY products that explicitly say Kosher for Passover are ok for Pesach.
The PoshMallow is also listed on the Vaad's website: https://www.vaadgw.org/restaurants.html
General information about what being a Kosher-certified company entails can be found below. If you need any additional information, please reach out to us at theposhmallow@gmail.com
What's Kosher, and why does it matter to The PoshMallow? What about Halal? Also, why won't you attend Saturday events?
Our company observes Jewish law because so does our founder and owner. That's why The PoshMallow and all our products are Kosher, and our company also follows other Jewish laws pertaining to businesses - such as not being open or doing business on Saturdays - the Jewish Sabbath. (Which is why you won't see us participating in markets and events on Friday nights, Saturdays and other specific religious holidays.)
Kosher literally means "proper" or "permitted" in Hebrew. Jewish law, derived originally from the Torah (Old Testament) and interpreted by centuries of scholars, parses out intricate details of which foods are permitted for consumption - as well as how those foods must be prepared. Foods that fit both those categories of rules are considered "proper" for consumption by observant Jews, thus Kosher.
People who self-identify as "keeping Kosher" usually mean that they "keep" the Kosher rules in their minds and hearts as they go through life. Some may observe these laws slightly differently than others, depending on customs, and their family tradition.
Today, especially in light of industrial food production, it would be impossible to personally investigate every ingredient contained in foods. To address this need as well as to create uniform Kosher law standards, groups of scholars band together in local communities as well as nationally, to inspect the ingredients, processes, and kitchen equipment involved - and then provide their official seal of approval - Kosher Certification - making it easy for a consumer can tell at a glance whether or not a product is safe to eat from a Kosher perspective.
Many people think that Kosher means a Rabbi comes to "bless" the food - but that is actually NOT so (Really!) This misunderstanding might have occurred when someone saw a Rabbi visit a food production operation, and assumed blessings were taking place. Strictly observant Jews do say a version of grace prior to eating food - so that could also have been misinterpreted. In any event - a Rabbi's blessing does NOT make food Kosher!
Back to the point: For a small company like ours, a Rabbinic representative from our local certification group checks our facility, ingredients, and processes, and we consult with them prior to making any changes.
A note on Halal - Many of the details in Kosher laws overlap with Halal laws (Halal also translates to "permitted"!) These Islamic laws derived from the Quran govern how to live an ethical Islamic life, and provide guidelines defining permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram) foods. While The PoshMallow is not officially certified as Halal, we try to be as clear as possible about our ingredients so that people of all faith traditions can enjoy our treats! If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
We're not looking to be comprehensive here by any means - we're marshmallow specialists, not religious studies experts! If you need any additional information, please reach out to us at theposhmallow@gmail.com and we'll happy try to at least point you in the right direction or connect you with a true expert.