Does a Rice-Milk Beverage Require Bishul Yisrael?

Does a rice-milk beverage require bishul Yisrael (Jewish participation in the cooking process)?

Foods that are not edible in a raw state and are oleh al shulchan melachim (suitable for a royal banquet) when cooked, require bishul Yisrael. Cooked rice meets these two criteria and requires bishul Yisrael.

In contrast, the rice-milk beverage is not oleh al shulchan melachim. Furthermore, there is no prohibition of bishul akum for drinks, where water is the main component (see Tosfos Avoda Zora Daf 31B d.h. Vitarvayhu, PriChodosh YD end of siman 112 and Aruch Hashulchan YD siman 113:22, 23.)

Although the rice used to make the rice-milk beverage is first cooked in a solid state, there is no issue of bishul akum. This is because the rice-milk beverage is made in one continuous process by cooking rice with enzymes under intense pressure at high temperatures. The cooked rice phase is an interim stage and therefore has no halachic significance.

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.