Are Acme Products Kosher for Passover?

Kosher for Passover

The festival of Passover is a time of great rejoice that includes a special family meal known as the Seder. The Seder includes many symbolic foods and strict dietary laws are observed during the holiday. That is why we at Acme Smoked Fish go to special lengths to ensure that our products are certifiably kosher for Passover.

Passover, also called Pesach, is an eight-day holiday celebrating the Jewish biblical story depicting the Israelites’ exodus from captivity in ancient Egypt. Those who observe the holiday must avoid all leavened foods during Passover, examples of which include yeasted breads (looking at you, bagels). That is why matzoh is permitted, as this type of bread is not allowed time to rise before baking.

Smoked Fish and Passover

Okay, so you’re probably thinking, “That explains why no bagels, but what does this have to do with smoked fish?” Well, the reason behind that is a little bit more nuanced. Observant Jewish consumers clean their homes before Passover to remove anything that is chametz or forbidden. Similarly, Kosher for Passover food producers (like Acme Smoked Fish) clean all of their production facilities under the special supervision of certified rabbis to ensure that no chametz is present. We at Acme Smoked Fish undergo the same stringent cleaning procedures - with the onsite supervision of a rabbi - each and every day, so it’s nothing new to us!

Something especially relevant to smoked fish producers like us at Acme is kitniyot. Kitniyot include those food items that contain anything resembling grain. These items are also avoided during Passover. Examples of kitniyot that our Acme Smoked Fish facilities must substitute for during Passover include certain ingredients in our flavorings and seasonings used in flavors such as pastrami smoked salmon and gravlax, which we substitute for with our very own K for P spice blends.

Another little change we make is in the mayonnaise used in our Acme smoked whitefish salad. The rest of the year Acme Smoked Fish uses a kosher mayonnaise containing soybean oil. During Passover though, beans are considered kitniyot, so we adjust our mayonnaise recipe accordingly. This helps to ensure that Acme Smoked Fish fans throughout the country can enjoy Acme smoked whitefish salad and other delicious smoked fish products during the Passover holiday.

So, now that you better understand the why and the how behind Acme Smoked Fish and the Kosher for Passover distinction, let’s get into the what, the when, and the where. You can identify what Acme Smoked Fish products are Kosher for Passover by observing the following…

Smoked Salmon and Specialty Smoked Fish Products

Acme’s smoked salmon and specialty smoked fish packaged products can be identified as Kosher for Passover by noting the sticker and/or printed label shown below…

Smoked Fish Salad and Pickled Herring Products

You can identify all of Acme’s Kosher for Passover smoked fish salad and pickled herring products by noting the marking you see below…

When are Kosher for Passover Smoked Fish Products Available?

Now, when can you find Kosher for Passover Acme products? You can find them in stores roughly a few weeks before and through the end of Passover. Just check out the Store Locator on our website to find out where Acme Smoked Fish products are sold near you.

Just look for the indications shown above when shopping in store to see which products are labeled Kosher for Passover. For those who are local to New York City, check out our Fish Friday retail experience at our Brooklyn headquarters at 30 Gem Street. Pop in, say “Hi” and “Chag sameach”, because we love meeting fellow smoked fish fans.