Bishul Akum - Parboiled Rice

Q. I purchased rice that was parboiled (partially cooked) by a non-Jewish company. Instead of requiring 30 minutes to cook, it will now cook in ten minutes. Is it permissible for a Yisroel to finish the cooking and eat the rice?

A. One might assume that status of the rice would be a matter of dispute between the Beis Yosef and the Rema. As previously noted, the Beis Yosef (Shulchan Aruch 113:9) holds that if a nochri cooked food more than maachal ben Drusai (which the Chazon Ish defines as more than half the normal cooking time), the food may not be eaten even if a Yisroel finished the cooking process. In contrast, the Rema follows the opinion of the Rishonim that if a Yisroel finishes cooking the food, the bishul Akum prohibition is suspended.

However, in truth, in this case all agree that the rice may be eaten if a Yisroel completed the cooking process. This is because the manufacturer dries the rice after it is cooked, and the rice is then inedible. The Beis Yosef in his teshuvos, Avkas Rochel (Siman 30) writes that if a cooked food is dried and cannot be consumed without further cooking, the food is viewed as raw. Subsequently, when a Yisroel cooks the rice, all agree that the rice is considered bishul Yisroel and may be eaten.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.