Is Kosher like being a vegetarian?

Answer 1

Almost, vegetarian is Kosher pareve, but not all kosher pareve products are vegetarian or vegan: (Think Kosher jello).

Answer:

Kosher is quite different than vegetarian. Keeping kosher means you follow the kashrut guidelines, and avoid certain foods. In addition, some foods have to be prepared in a specific way in order to be considered kosher for example meat, chicken, liver etc. Keeping kosher does not mean you can not eat meat, but you can not eat meat with milk, and the meat itself has to be kosher meat.

Additionally, there are things that a vegetarian or vegan might eat that are not kosher such as leavened bread during Passover, bread made from chadash flour prior the Omer, wine that is not mevushal, and orlah-fruit.

Answer 2

Completely different. Keeping kosher allows eating (kosher) meat, while being vegetarian allows non-kosher vegetarian foods.
So what does kosher mean?

Kosher food means food that has been prepared according to the kosher-laws (see Deuteronomy ch.14). These are explained in detail in the Talmud-volume of Chullin.* Meat must be from those land animals which have split hooves and chew their cud (such as beef, venison and mutton).
* Fish have to have scales and fins. Shellfish are not kosher.
* Birds cannot be among those listed as forbidden in the Torah (Deuteronomy ch.14) and cannot be hunters/scavengers. In actual practice, today we eat only those species concerning which we have a tradition that they're permitted, such as domestic chicken, geese, pigeons and turkey.

* Animals must be slaughtered in the manner specified by Jewish law and must be free of all disease. In actual practice, those who keep kosher purchase meat which is certified as having been prepared in the kosher manner.
* As much blood as possible must be removed from meat before cooking, since consumption of blood is forbidden (Leviticus ch.17). This is done at home or by the kosher butcher, through salting, soaking and rinsing.

* Dairy and meat cannot be combined in the same meal and there's a waiting period between eating one and then the other. After dairy: 1/2 hour. After meat: 6 hours for most Jewish communities.

* Fruits and vegetables should be checked to be sure they're free of bugs. Some Jews avoid cauliflower, asparagus, and the like, because of the difficulty in checking them.

Additionally, food must be prepared and handled following kashrut-laws and with kosher ingredients only. Any food that does not meet these requirements cannot be eaten by those who are religiously observant. Foods which are purchased should be labeled as having had kosher supervision during their processing.

See also:

Could you give me a list of kosher and non-kosher types of fish?

Why do some Jews not keep kosher?

The use of rennet