kosher

(kō'shər)

1. Judaism.
   1. Conforming to dietary laws; ritually pure: kosher meat.
   2. Selling or serving food prepared in accordance with dietary laws: a kosher restaurant.
2. Slang.
   1. Legitimate; permissible: "consolidating noneditorial functions of the papers, which is kosher" (Christian Science Monitor).
   2. Genuine; authentic.

[Yiddish kosher, from Ashkenazi Hebrew kóšer, from Hebrew kāšēr, fitting, proper, from kāšēr, to be fitting, to succeed.]

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The selection and preparation of foods in accordance with traditional Jewish ritual and dietary laws. Foods that are not kosher are traife.

The only kosher flesh foods are from animals that chew the cud and have cloven hoofs, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer; the hindquarters must not be eaten. The only fish permitted are those with fins and scales; birds of prey and scavengers are not kosher. Moreover, the animals must be slaughtered according to ritual, without stunning, before the meat can be considered kosher. See also Passover.

[KOH-sher] Food that conforms to strict Jewish biblical laws pertaining not only to the type of food that may be eaten, but to the kinds of food that can be combined at one meal (for example, meat and dairy products may not be mixed). In order to meet kosher standards and receive the kosher seal, food must be prepared under a rabbi's supervision. In addition to the kinds of animals considered kosher (pigs and rabbits are among the nonkosher group), the laws also decree that animals be fed organically grown food and killed in the most humane manner possible. The word "kosher" is a derivation of the Hebrew kasher, meaning "proper" or "pure." Because kosher foods bear an inherent hallmark of wholesomeness and quality, they are rapidly becoming popular with a new market of health-conscious consumers. Kosher foods can be purchased in most supermarkets throughout the United States.

adjective

Capable of being allowed: admissible, allowable, permissible. See allow/prevent.

A growing practice in recent years is for terms such as li- mehadderin or mehadderin min ha-mehadderin ("superfine") to accompany the word kosher, so as to guarantee that the supervision of a particular food is meticulous and strictly Orthodox. Similarly, ḥalak (literally "smooth") or "glatt kosher" are terms reserved for meat products to which the highest degree of kashrut is attached. Here, the procedure requires that certain internal organs be examined---and the entire carcass rejected---if they appear to contain any defect, even if a rabbinical authority concludes that the blemish does not render the meat Terefah (ritually unfit).

A certificate guaranteeing rabbinical supervision can now be found on thousands of mass-produced foods, especially in Israel and the United States. This takes the form of an easily recognized symbol, although it may also record the full name of the rabbi, authority, or organization providing the supervision (see Hekhsher). Airlines, hotels, restaurants, and catering firms throughout the world supply kosher food on a regular basis. The symbol is legally protected. Both in Israel and in certain major Diaspora communities, ultra-Orthodox groups refuse to accept the kashrut of the chief rabbinate or central authority. They provide their own "attestation" of approved foodstuffs, often involving rivalry.

"Kosher" is also a term used to describe ethnic dishes such as "kosher dill pickles" or other European Jewish delicacies. Use of the expression "kosher-style" thus indicates a particular type of cuisine, not the ritual fitness of a dish from the standpoint of Jewish law. Kosher, in its original sense, may also be employed to describe the fitness of a particular individual to officiate or participate in Jewish religious observances. The term is similarly applied to ritual objects, which are regarded as kosher when suitably produced and maintained in proper condition.

Jewish kosher foods are those that have been prepared under the supervision of Orthodox rabbis who have studied the dietary requirements of the Hebrew scriptures and will guarantee that the rules have been followed.

When matzah (bread made without leaven) is prepared, for example, the rule is ancient and simple: flour and water must be mixed together and put in the oven within seventeen minutes. Any longer than that and the bread has a chance to rise, at which point it is no longer unleavened bread. Every place in the kitchen that might possibly contain yeast residue is examined. Ovens and all utensils are thoroughly cleaned to remove any possible trace of leaven. Timers keep careful watch on the clock. Every Jew in the world knows that on Passover her bread is really unleavened if it is stamped with the kosher seal.

From wine to pickles, every food has its traditional rules. Animals have to be slaughtered in a certain ritualistic way. Some foods cannot be mixed.

Only flesh of animals that have a "cloven foot and chew the cud" are ritually pure. (Cattle and deer-yes. Pigs-no.) Water animals must have both fins and scales. (Fish-okay. Lobster-forbidden.) Birds of prey are out, as are reptiles. Blood from any animal is not kosher, and meat must be drained and salted before cooking. Meat and milk (and foods derived from each) must never be mixed. In other words, cheese on a hamburger is not kosher, nor is any kind of meat on a pizza. Foods such as fruits and vegetables occupy a neutral ground and are considered pareve.

Sources: Bridger, David, ed. The New Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Behrman House, 1962.

In Judaism, refers to dietary regulations for daily life.

Kosher is a Yiddish word, from Hebrew kasher, "proper" or "fit." The laws of kashrut (dietary laws) define foods fit for use, those that are kosher for Jews. They are mentioned in numerous verses of the Bible (especially in Deuteronomy), but they were interpreted for daily use by the sages of the Talmud (in the commentaries called the Mishnah, c. 200 C.E., and in the Gemarah, commentaries on the Mishnah). They went into effect, for the most part, during the early Diaspora, and they helped establish both a religious and a folk sense of community among a dispersed nation. Those who traveled, who were engaged in international trade, or who were dispossessed from century to century could seek others who shared a sense of proper food handling.

The laws of kashrut define how to kill, handle, and prepare meat and dairy products. They define which animals may be considered food at all, and which parts of kosher animals may be used. For example, fish without fins and scales may not be eaten, and animals without horns and cloven hooves may not be eaten. Animals that eat carrion are unfit, as is the eating of meat with dairy products. Vegetables, fruits, and grains are never unfit. Thus, out of necessity, many Jews who travel without kosher food available become vegetarians in order to keep the kashrut tradition.

Bibliography

Fishbane, Michael. Judaism: Revelation and Traditions. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row, 1987.

Gilbert, Martin, ed. The Illustrated Atlas of Jewish Civilization:Four Thousand Years of Jewish History. New York: Macmillan, 1990.

— ZACHARY KARABELL

• Cuisines, Meals, and Restaurants - kosher: (adj) prepared according to Jewish dietary laws
• Yiddish Borrowings - kosher: (adj) fit to eat under Jewish dietary laws; proper, legitimate
• Proper, Courteous, Refined, or Puritanical
• Judaism - kosher: (adj) following dietary and ceremonial laws governing what is fit to eat by Jews

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - kosher, rituelt forskriftsmæssigt, mad forberedt efter jødisk forskrift
v. tr. - tilberede på koshervis

Nederlands (Dutch)
koosjer, legitiem, kasjeren (koosjer maken)

Français (French)
adj. - légitime, impeccable, casher
n. - kosher
v. tr. - cachériser, être O.K.

Deutsch (German)
n. - koscheres Essen
adj. - koscher (jüd. Speisegesetzen folgend), in Ordnung, echt
v. - koscher machen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εδεσματολογικώς επιτρεπόμενα τρόφιμα (για Εβραίους), κατάστημα με τέτοια τρόφιμα
adj. - εδεσματολογικώς επιτρεπόμενος (για Εβραίους), (καθομ.) σωστός, πρεπούμενος
v. - φροντίζω να τρώγομαι

Italiano (Italian)
kasher, rendere kasher

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - limpo (alimentos), legal (gír.), genuíno, autêntico, legítimo, permissível
v. - tornar apropriado ou puro

Русский (Russian)
кошерный, правильный, разрешенный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - autorizado por la religión judía (alimento), propio, correcto
v. tr. - hacer o declarar autorizado (alimento)
n. - autorizado por la religión judía (alimento), comida kosher

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - koscher mat
adj. - koscher, ritualenlig, genuin, äkta
v. - laga koshermat

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
合犹太人戒律的, 合适的, 清净的, 使合适

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 合猶太人戒律的, 合適的, 清淨的
v. tr. - 使合適

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 적법의, 순수한, 깨끗한 음식을 사용하는
v. tr. - 적정하게 ~을 처리하다

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 適法の, まともな
n. - 適法の食品
v. - 適法にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) دكان لبيع الطعام المباح في الشريعه اليهوديه (صفه) مباح في الشريعه اليهوديه (فعل) يبيح أكل الطعام عند اليهود‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮כשר, הגון, חוקי, נכון‬
v. tr. - ‮הכשיר (בשר וכו')‬

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