Jeffrey Salazar
Kosher food refers to any food or beverage that complies with Jewish dietary laws and is therefore fit for consumption by Jewish people. The laws of kosher, rooted in history and religion, outline which foods are allowed or forbidden and mandate how permitted foods must be produced, processed, and prepared before consumption. These rules are called kashrut. Meat, for instance, must be prepared according to the Jewish standards of shechita, which involves a ritual slaughter that respects the dignity of animal life and minimises suffering. In addition, meat and dairy products must be kept and consumed separately, and all utensils and equipment used to process and clean them must be kept separate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Animals | Only certain animals, fish, and birds are allowed. The only kosher mammals are herbivores that chew their cud, known as ruminants, and have cloven hooves. |
| Insects | Most insects are not considered kosher. |
| Fruits and vegetables | Should be inspected and washed thoroughly before being eaten. |
| Meat and dairy | Meat and dairy products must be kept and consumed separately. |
| Slaughter and preparation | Animals must be slaughtered humanely (shechita) and inspected, and all food must be prepared following kosher guidelines. Meat must be treated to remove residual blood, generally through salting or roasting. |
| Pareve foods | Foods that are neither meat nor dairy, including fish, eggs, and plant-based foods. |
| Utensils | Separate utensils must be used for meat and dairy products. |
| Wine | Must be produced using kosher equipment and ingredients. |
| Food combinations | The Torah lays the foundations of kosher dietary laws and prohibits the consumption of blood. |
| Food processing | All food must be processed according to kosher guidelines. |
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What You'll Learn
Meat and dairy must be kept separate
Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary laws, which include rules on which foods can be eaten and how they must be prepared. One of the most important rules of kosher is that meat and dairy must be kept separate. This separation is so important that in strict kosher kitchens, people use separate utensils for meat and dairy products, which are not washed in the same water, to avoid cross-contamination.
Meat and dairy foods may not be cooked together or eaten together. This prohibition is so strict that it is not permitted to cook milk with meat, even if no one will eat this mixture. One may not cook dairy in a meat pot or meat in a dairy pot, even if it is being done for a non-Jewish person. Culinary school students may be forbidden to prepare milk and meat dishes, or to use vessels or cutlery that are used for both milk and meat, even if the food itself is kosher.
Kosher homes typically have two sets of cookware, dishes, and cutlery—one for meat and one for dairy. This is because it is Biblically prohibited to eat something that contains both milk and meat that were cooked together. The rabbis decreed that one who wants to eat a dairy product must wait a certain amount of time after eating meat. Customs vary, but the most common practice is to wait between one and six hours, with three hours being the norm for Conservative Jews.
The prohibition on mixing meat and dairy also applies to foods made with meat or dairy additives or by-products, even if there are no actual pieces of meat or dairy present. All meat, fowl, and meat parts in any product must come from a kosher animal that was slaughtered, examined, and drained of blood according to dietary laws. All foods derived from or containing milk are considered dairy and must meet similar criteria to be certified kosher.
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Only certain animals, fish and birds are allowed
Kosher food is any food that complies with Jewish dietary laws, which are rooted in history and religion. The word "kosher" in Hebrew means "fit" or "proper".
Only certain animals, fish, and birds are allowed in a kosher diet. The Torah, the first part of the Jewish bible, lays the foundations of kosher dietary laws. The Torah prohibits the consumption of blood, which is considered to contain the soul of the animal. This applies only to the blood of birds and mammals, not to fish blood. Therefore, all blood must be drained from the flesh of kosher animals, and the remaining blood must be removed by broiling, soaking, or salting.
The Torah also lists 24 species of fowl that are forbidden by kosher law. All other birds are considered kosher. In the United States, the only poultry considered kosher are specific types of chicken, turkey, duck, and goose.
The only kosher mammals are herbivores that chew their cud, known as ruminants, and have cloven hooves. This includes cows, goats, sheep, deer, and bison.
The laws of kosher also dictate that meat must be prepared according to Jewish standards known as shechita, which is a method of slaughter designed to minimise the suffering of the animal. The animal must be slaughtered in a way that is painless and rapid, using a very sharp knife called a "chalef". The slaughter must be performed by a qualified and trained Jewish butcher who is certified by a rabbi.
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Food must be prepared according to Jewish standards
Kosher food is any food that complies with Jewish dietary laws, which are rooted in history and religion. These laws dictate what foods are allowed and forbidden, as well as how permitted foods are produced, processed, and prepared.
For meat to be considered kosher, it must be prepared according to Jewish standards known as shechita. This involves a ritual slaughter of the animal that respects its dignity and minimises suffering. The slaughter must be performed by a shochet, a qualified and trained Jewish butcher who is certified by a rabbi. The process involves using a very sharp knife, called a chalef, to make a quick and clean cut. After slaughter, the meat must be treated to remove residual blood, typically through salting or roasting. This is because the consumption of blood is prohibited by the laws of Kashrut, as outlined in the Torah.
To keep a kosher kitchen, food must be prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. This includes keeping meat and dairy separate, using only kosher ingredients, and ensuring that all kitchen surfaces and utensils are free from any non-kosher ingredients.
Kosher wine must also be produced using kosher equipment and ingredients, and the entire production process must be carried out and supervised by practising Jews. This includes any tools used to harvest and prepare grapes for fermentation.
In addition to these general guidelines, there are specific dietary restrictions during the Jewish holiday of Passover. For example, all leavened grain products are traditionally forbidden, and wine produced for Passover must not be fermented from grains, yeasts, or enzymes.
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Insects are not considered kosher
Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary laws, which are based on the Torah, the first part of the Jewish bible. These laws dictate what foods can and cannot be eaten, how they should be produced, and how they should be combined.
The Torah forbids the consumption of insects, which it refers to as "Sheratzim". This includes many types of insects, and fruits and vegetables should be carefully inspected and washed before eating to ensure they are insect-free. While a magnifying glass can be used to check for insects, if they are visible to the naked eye, they are forbidden. If a bowl of salad contains insects, it is considered non-kosher.
There are some exceptions to the rule against eating insects. The Torah allows for the consumption of four categories of flying insects, specifically, "winged swarming things that go upon all fours, which have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap upon the earth". These criteria are met by many species of grasshoppers and every species of locust. However, the identity of the four permitted types is difficult to ascertain, as the terms used in the Bible refer to colour and broad morphological generalities.
In 2020, the National Rabbinate of Israel approved locusts as kosher for the first time, provided they were sourced from modern agriculture technologies that could guarantee only kosher-approved species. Before their emigration to Israel in the mid-20th century, Jewish communities in Yemen and parts of Northern Africa consumed locusts, and some continue to do so occasionally.
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Wine must be produced using kosher equipment
Kosher food complies with Jewish dietary laws, which outline which foods are allowed or forbidden and mandate how permitted foods must be produced, processed, and prepared before consumption. The Torah, the first part of the Jewish bible, lays the foundation of kosher dietary laws. Practising Jews believe that following a kosher diet is God's will.
Wine is significant to many Jewish religious occasions, and therefore, stricter rules are imposed on its production. To be deemed kosher, wine must be produced using kosher equipment and ingredients. This includes any tools used to harvest and prepare the grapes for fermentation. The entire kosher wine production process must be carried out and supervised by practising Jews. Only Sabbath-observant Jews may handle the wine, from the first time a liquid portion is separated from solid waste until the wine is pasteurized or the bottles are sealed.
The pasteurization process must be overseen by mashgichim to ensure the kosher status of the wine. They will attend the winery to physically tip the fruit into the crush and operate the pasteurization equipment. Once the wine emerges from the process, it can be handled and aged in the normal fashion.
In the United States, most kosher wines are pasteurized at a very early stage of production to avoid Hamshacah problems. Hamshacah is defined as the separation of the juice of the grape from the grape skin. If this is done by a non-Jew, the production is disqualified. An observant Jew must initiate, activate, or operate every essential step of the crush, including the fermentation, standardization, and sample-taking for quality control.
To be considered kosher, wine must contain only kosher ingredients, including yeast and fining agents. No preservatives or artificial colours may be added. Wine that is described as "kosher for Passover" must have been kept free from contact with chametz and kitnios, and free of certain additives, such as corn syrup and legumes.
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Frequently asked questions
Kosher means any food that complies with Jewish dietary laws. The word kosher is derived from Hebrew, meaning "fit" or "proper".
For meat to be considered kosher, it has to be slaughtered in a way that is painless and respectful of the animal's life, by someone who is specially trained and certified by a rabbi. All blood must be removed from the meat, either by broiling or soaking and salting.
For wine to be considered kosher, it must be produced, processed, and bottled by observant Jews. All ingredients used, including yeasts and clarifying agents, must be kosher, and the equipment used must not have been used to produce non-kosher wines.
Foods that are not allowed in a kosher diet include most insects, meat and dairy combinations, and the consumption of blood from mammals and birds.
