0
Kosher Food
Kosher food is food that meets Jewish dietary laws. Any food can be called kosher food if it adheres to Jewish law. Foods that are considered Jewish aren't necessarily kosher. Kosher food laws are rather extensive, some are derived from the bible and others through rabbinic interpretations over the years.
1,170 Questions
Gazelle are specifically named in Deuteronomy 12: "... eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer ..."
However, while some animals are forbidden, the fact that an animal is not forbidden does not automatically make its meat kosher, it just means that it can be kosher. The animal must still be slaughtered properly, butchered properly, and none of "the thigh" (generally defined as "the sciatic nerve and its branches", which in practice works out to "just to be safe, don't eat the back half of the animal") is kosher. Meat "offered to idols" is also not kosher, and "all fat is The Lord's" (so don't eat it).
Which fruits and vegetables are NOT kosher?
Pork
Shellfish
T-bone Steak (comes from the hind quarter of the cow)
Pepperoni pizza (meat and milk are combined)
Blood sausage
ANYTHING that isn't prepared in a kosher kitchen.
Does Miracle Whip contain pork?
On the label, look for: 1. The kosher certification symbol and 2. If it is kosher , if it is kosher dairy or pareve. If pareve, and kosher, it can be eaten with meat.
_________
Miracle Whip is pareve so it's fine for meat. Although, NEVER serve corned beef, salami, roast beef, etc with anything other than mustard to a Jew. Anything else is blasphemy!
What is the sodium content of kosher beef?
This is impossible to answer, but the salt content in all kosher meat is significant.
How must meat for kosher be killed?
If its flesh is to be kosher, an animal must be killed in accordance with very strict laws known as shechita. These laws apply to all birds and mammals, including wild animals, which must be caught in a way that does not injure them and then killed according to shechita. As well as ensuring that the meat is in compliance with the laws of kashrut (the very strict commandments that govern which food is kosher, which is not kosher and which is neutral), shechita also places great emphasis on preventing suffering and as a result has been called the first ever set animal welfare laws by some.
First of all, the animal must be a kosher species. Pigs are the best known non-kosher animal, but many others are also forbidden such as whales, dolphins, camels, any fish that does not have both fins and scales (such as the lamprey and shark), insects, shellfish, birds of prey and others. Hunting is not permitted if the animal is killed in any way other than by the method below as the meat will be rendered non-kosher. Wild animals must be caught in a way that does not harm them and then slaughtered in compliance with Jewish law. Prior to being shekhted (slaughtered), the animal will be closely examined for any sign of diseases that cause lesions on the lungs which would make the flesh unsuitable for consumption by Jews.
The animal must only be killed by a shochet, a highly-trained slaughterman who in many cases may also be a rabbi. He must be a very pious Jew and must consider the animal's life and well-being as he slits the throat with a very sharp blade known to Ashkenazi Jews as a hallaf and to Sephardim as a sakin. The blade must have a perfect edge, without any nicks or blemishes, and be able to bring about rapid death when pressed against the throat - hacking or slicing renders the meat treif (non-kosher). In addition to being intended to bring about rapid loss of consciousness, the process is also designed to ensure the removal of as much blood as possible from the carcass. Whether or not this is preferable to modern secular slaughtering techniques is debatable - many people, both Jewish and gentile, argue that shechita causes no more distress than slaughter with a captive bolt gun and that the process can be preferable due to the greater emphasis placed upon the animal's life and prevention of suffering. Others claim that it results in more suffering - it is worth knowing that kosher slaughterhouses find themselves subject to animal abuse charges far less frequently than non-kosher facilities which tend to be geared up to the undustrial production of meat on a massive scale which, in all too many cases, leads to corners being cut and standards being ignored. Note that those kosher slaughterhouses that have been charged with abuse have often been those that attempt to industrialise the process, such was the case with Spencer Foods of Spencer in Iowa, now defunct - animal handling expert Temple Grandin referred to it as "the plant from hell" and vowed to shut it down. However, speaking on shechita in general, he said that when done "done correctly, the animal appears not to feel it. From an animal welfare standpoint, the major concern during ritual slaughter are the stressful and cruel methods of restraint (holding) that are used in some plants" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita#Animal_welfare_controversies). Nevertheless, the debate has led many Jews to avoid meat altogether and adopt vegetarian/vegan diets.
Following slaughter, the flesh is once again examined in process known as bedikah for evidence of internal injury that would render it treif. Internal organs are once again checked for lesions - there is debate about whether lesions always make meat treif or not, with some Jews believing that if the lungs remain airtight following removal of the scarred section then the meat is kosher. Glatt kosher refers to meat that has been shekted in strict accordance with shechita and in which no lesions have been discovered.
Next, the carcass is porged. The kidneys, intestines and certain fats in the case of domestic animals, known as chelev, as removed (chelev does not appy to wild animals). The gid hanasheh, or sciatic nerve, must also be removed. Removal of chelev and gid hanasheh is a labour-intensive and very difficult task which requires a highly-skilled butcher - one of the reasons that a shochet must undergo far more training that a non-kosher butcher. Since the Totah forbids the consumption of blood, this too must be removed - large blood vessels are stripped out and the meat is kashered - soaked for around half an hour and then covered in salt which absorbs the last traces of blood prior to being rinsed off. This must be done within three days of slaughter and prior to freezing, otherwise the blood is considered to have set within the meat and it is treif.
What food cant jews eat and why?
Mixing meat and dairy, and shellfish and pork are NOT considered healthy.
Is sweet n low kosher for Passover?
Ordinary Sweet 'n Low is not kosher for Passover, but they make a special run that is. Look for it in kosher supermarkets before the holiday, or ask your local supermarket to order it for you.
Are nitrates in kosher hot dogs?
Sodium nitrite is actually the chemical added in hot dogs, not sodium nitrATE. Sodium nitrite is added to pork and other meat products as a preservative to allow it to remain fairly pathogen-free on its way to distant markets. Not all kosher hot dogs are nitrite-free, so you have to look at the ingredients. Most hot dogs have sodium nitrite, though.
The problem with nitrites is that they are converted to nitrosamines in the body...and nitrosamines are very carcinogenic. The simple reason why we don't get cancer after eating a hot dog is because we have DNA repair and regulation mechanisms in our cells that prevent cancers and DNA damage. However, over time, as damage accumulates, those repair mechanisms break down and become less effective, leading to increased probability of cancer.
Jews eat kosher food due to the various laws laid out in the Bible, mostly in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, in which G-d instructs mankind as to which foods are permitted to us and which are not (the reason why these foods are permitted or not is unknown and falls into the category of Jewish laws termed chukim, laws for which no reason is given).
Kosher laws, known as kashrus, only apply to foods that come from animals. For meat to be kosher, it must be from one of the kosher animals (pigs are the best-known non-kosher animal among non-Jews, but there are many others such as whales, dolphins, fish that do not have both fins and scales, birds of prey, cats, dogs, ferrets, rabbits, almost all carnivores, camels, shellfish and all insects except a certain species of locust). Those animals that are kosher must be slaughtered by a highly trained slaughter man (commonly also a rabbi) called a shochet using a very sharp knife with a flawless edge in a process called shechita which is intended to prevent the animal from experiencing any pain or suffering. Animals cannot be killed in any other way, which is why Jews have not traditionally hunted for food or sport, and certain parts cannot be eaten including the blood and the sciatic nerve. In the case of some shochets, who have completed an extra and gruelling course of training) the sciatic nerve is removed, but the hind quarters that contain it are commonly sold to non-Jews for consumption. The carcass is then inspected closely for other signs that would render it unkosher, such as spots on the lungs. Finally, all any last traces of blood are removed by covering the meat in coarse salt which will absorb it - this is the kosher salt you may have seen for sale (salt, being a mineral, is not subject to kashrus and can be eaten by Jews). It's complex, which is why - along with the religious requirement to avoid causing suffering to any living thing - so many Jews are strictly vegetarian nowadays.
Kashrus also applies to the consumption of meat and dairy together, which is not permitted so Jews will wait a certain amount of time after consuming one before consuming the other.
All plants are considered parve, meaning that they can be eaten with anything including dairy or meat. Eggs are also considered pareve.
Note that, despite what many non-Jewish people assume, at no point does food need to have any sort of blessing performed in order to be kosher - it must simply be produced in strict accordance with Jewish law. You can recognise kosher food by the presence of a hechsher stamp, a mark on the label which producers are permitted to use after being certified kosher by a mashgichim who checks the premises where the food is made and supervises the entire process. Despite what some people, often those with a hidden and antisemitic agenda of their own, earning the right to display a hechsher symbol does not raise the price of the food - in actual fact, since the food can then be bought by Jews as well as non-Jews, it increases the market share and pays for itself or can even allow the manufacturer to lower the price.
What is a traditional kosher menu?
A kosher menu refers to a menu that consists of only kosher foods in a combination that meets the requirements of kashrut. Kashrut is the term for the Jewish dietary food laws. There are no specific foods that make up a kosher menu as kosher isn't a style of cooking, it's simply the rules for food preparation and consumption.
What is the reason for kosher?
The history of kosher (Kashrut; kosher laws; kosher foods) is part of the Torah-history itself, meaning that it goes as far back as the Torah does because it is based on the Torah and is a part of it. Many of the basic Kashrut laws are stated explicitly in the Torah (see Leviticus ch. 11).
Do Jewish people eat rice on Hanukkah?
Special foods include potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly donuts (sufganiyot). Also, any foods fried in oil are traditional.
There isn't anything that could be called a "Hanukkah Dinner" though.
Why are Jewish people not allowed to drink milk after they've eaten meat?
they do drink milk but not milk from pigs !
Jews actually do drink milk, but there are four main requirements:
- The milk must not come from a non-kosher animal (such as a llama or a pig)
- The milk must not be manufactured using animal products
- The milk must not have contacted any meat or meat product, even if the meat is kosher.
- The milk must be prepared under Rabbinical Supervision.
The animal is slaughtered by a specific halakhic (Torah law) procedure.
The animal is inspected internally to ensure that it was not injured during its lifetime.
The sciatic nerve (Genesis, end of ch.32) and certain fats (Leviticus ch.7) are removed.
The meat is salted according to a specific procedure to remove the blood.
The meat is cooked without dairy, in a non-dairy pot or pan.
Is kosher alcohol bad for you?
Kosher alcohol is no different chemically from non-kosher alcohol. Most beers and hard liquors are kosher by default. The only forms of alcohol that need to be specifically certified are wines, wine based liqueurs, or if such ingredients as cream and flavourings are added. Kosher alcohol would be no better... or worse... for you than any other alcohol.
Jews who follow kashrut (the dietary laws) can eat eggs if they are from kosher animals, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The eggs must not contain blood though.
Jews who do not follow kashrut can eat anything they want.
There is no single list of kosher foods as creating such a list would be impossible. Kosher isn't a style of food, it is a title given to any food that is prepared following the laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary laws).
For example, macaroni and cheese can be kosher if it is made in a kosher kitchen using kosher ingredients. The same is true for chow mein, which is Chinese in origin, but again, can be made with kosher ingredients.
What does the bible say about eating shell fish?
In order for a fish to be kosher it has to have scales and fins. That leaves out all shellfish. However, this applies only to Jews, if you're not Jewish and your religion doesn't have a rule against eating shellfish, enjoy!
What drinks are Jews allowed to drink?
How about Kosher tequila? It's a complex and expensive process for Mexican distilleries to get certification, but Vivanco and Los Generales are two examples who have already had the official Rabbi visit!
Peace,
JM
What birds do Jewish people eat?
Unlike other categories of meats (fish, mammals, etc), Judaism does not characterize birds as kosher or unkosher based on their physical characteristics. Rather, species not specifically named in the Bible as clean or unclean are determined based on their similarities to those that are named. The turkey is one such bird that was not referenced in scripture, but became known to Judaism many thousands of years after the Bible was written.
In short, birds of prey are not kosher, including vultures, buzzards, eagles, hawks, and various other carnivorous birds.
Those that are kosher include the chicken, turkey, duck, most game-fowl, feasant, etc.
It is, of course, important to note that some different strains of Judaism have differing levels of committment to these principles. Orthodox Judaism, for example would require not only that the bird itself be of a permitted species, but also that it is slaughtered and prepared according to kosher food rules.
Can kosher's eat nachos and salsa?
Kosher refers to food that is prepared according to the laws of kashrut. The people who keep kosher are Jews. Kosher is a classification, not a people.
That being said, if the nachos and salsa are certified kosher, religious Jews who keep kosher can eat them.
No, blood pudding is not kosher for two reasons:
# It contains pork products. Jews are prohibited from eating pig meat. # It contains blood. Jews are prohibited from eating blood of any animal, even a kosher one like cow or chicken.
Is kosher meat allowed with kosher vegetables?
1). All vegetables are kosher, as long as there are no bugs lurking.
2). Meat may be eaten with anything except dairy products.
(Mixing with fish is also customarily avoided.)
