What can Jewish people eat and not eat?

Answer 1

Kosher laws, or kashrut, are extensive. Here are the main rules in a simplied format.

Note: Kosher laws do not appliy to non-Jews.

Mammals - must have a split hoof and be a ruminant (it must chew its cud).

Fish - must have fins and scales

Birds - the laws are complicated, but in general, they must not be a scavenger or predator, and must have a societal tradition as a food animal, such as most poultry

Insects - there are 50 species of kosher locusts, but the names are lost in translation, so most Jews consider insects unkosher

Reptiles and Amphibians - are not kosher

Blood - must be completely removed from mammals and birds

Meat and dairy cannot touch or be cooked or eaten together

Fish and vegetables cannot be cooked together, but may be eaten together

Animal products - only milk, eggs, and other animal products of a kosher animal are kosher

Furthermore, there are complex laws about how the animal can be raised, slaughtered, and processed (including supervision of the processing), and what parts of the animal may be eaten.

Summary of unkosher animals eaten in societies where Jews live:

shellfish

catfish

shark

pork

rabbit

snake

alligator

Turtle

horsemeat

Animals that are not agreed upon by all Jewish authorities:

swordfish

sturgeon

ostrich

Turkey (only disagreed upon by an extremely small minority of Jews)

the 50 species of kosher locusts listed above

Answer 2

The Jewish diet is made up of Kosher (Kashrut) food. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher,"

Leviticus 11:3

Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat.

Deuteronomy 14:4-19

These are the animals that you may eat: ox, lamb, and kid, gazelle, deer, and antelope, ibex, chamois, bison, and giraffe. And every animal that has a split hoof and has a hoof cloven into two hoof sections, [and] chews the cud among the animals that you may eat. But you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those that have the split hooves: the cloven one, the camel, the hyrax, and the hare, for they chew the cud, but do not have split hooves; they are unclean for you. And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. These you may eat of all that are in the waters; all that have fins and scales, you may eat. But whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. You may eat every clean bird. But these are those from which you shall not eat: The eagle [or the griffin vulture], the ossifrage, the osprey; and the white vulture, and the black vulture, and the kite after its species; And every raven after its species; And the ostrich, and the owl, and the gull, and the hawk after its species; The falcon, and the ibis, and the bat; And the pelican, and the magpie, and the cormorant; And the stork, and the heron and its species, and the hoopoe, and the atalef. And every flying insect is unclean for you; they may not be eaten.

That means sheep, goats, domestic deer, and cattle are among the Kosher meats, but pigs, rabbits, and horses are some of the countless animals that are not.

Kosher meat also requires animals to be killed quickly and painlessly. The animal also cannot have a disease. The blood must be drained from the meat.

Kosher fish have both fins and scales. If it doesn't, it's not Kosher. (that means no shellfish, shrimp, lobster, etc.)

More facts:

• Meat and dairy must not be ate at the same meal on a Jew who keeps Kosher

• Kosher Pizza must be made of Kosher ingredients (no pig or pork, for example) and must be baked in an oven that has never been used for non-Kosher foods or meat. Since Jewish law does not allow dairy and meat together, meat isn't really on the pizza of a Jew who keeps Kosher. Unless the pizza is cheese-less and the meat is Kosher meat. (described above)

• Most Jews wait 6 hours before eating dairy if they've had meat or 6 hours before eating meat if they've had dairy.

• Since butter is dairy, Jews do not eat butter with meat.