Kosher Food
“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”
-Voltaire (1694 – 1778), famous French philosopher and writer
Kashrut refers to Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning, “fit” (in this context, fit for consumption by Jews according to traditional Jewish law).
The rules of kashrut dictate which animals can be eaten, how to slaughter animals, and how to separate meat and dairy. Jews who keep kashrut may not consume non-kosher food. Kosher food provides Jews nutrition for both the body and the soul.
The key principles of kosher food are:
- Mammals that both chew their cud (ruminate) and have cloven hooves can be kosher.
- Birds that are hatched with feathers and are able to walk soon after are kosher (not birds of prey).
- Fish must have fins and scales to be kosher.
- Poultry and meat must be slaughtered under strict guidelines called “shechita.” This means the animals are slaughtered without pain. Only those who are trained and qualified are allowed to slaughter kosher animals. Once the animal is no longer alive, another team of experts will examine the animal to be sure the animal is without illness, abnormalities or anything else that can be considered unsanitary. The lungs in particular must be pure. In addition, all blood, nerves, and most fat must be removed.
- Meat and milk (or derivatives) cannot be mixed in the sense that meat and dairy products are not served at the same meal, served or cooked in the same utensils, or stored together.
- Fruit of the first three years of a tree’s growth or replanting is not kosher.
- Kosher kitchens must maintain separate sets of utensils, pots, pans, dishes, and anything else that comes in contact with food. In addition, dishes and utensils in a kosher kitchen can’t be washed together. If a kitchen has two sinks, it is an ideal setup for a kosher family. If not, separate wash buckets are often used. Dishes and utensils must be dried using separate racks or dishtowels as well.
The word “kosher” is not only used for food, however. Kosher basically means that something follows all the Jewish legal guidelines. The word has even gained a place in American slang to mean appropriate, legitimate, or proper. Instead of saying “That’s right,” one might say, “That’s kosher.”
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