Kosher food is defined by Jewish dietary laws known as kashrut, which specify what foods are permissible and how they must be prepared and consumed. Here are the key factors that make food kosher:
- Permitted Animals and Ingredients : Only certain animals are allowed. For meat, animals must have cloven hooves and chew their cud (e.g., cows, sheep, goats), and fish must have fins and scales. Birds of prey and shellfish are forbidden. Dairy must come from kosher animals, and ingredients like rennet in cheese must be from kosher sources
- Proper Slaughter (Shechita) : Animals must be slaughtered humanely by a trained and certified person (a shochet) following specific procedures to minimize pain. All blood must be drained from the meat since consuming blood is prohibited
- Separation of Meat and Dairy : Meat and dairy products must never be cooked, eaten, or served together. Separate utensils, cookware, and even sinks are used for meat and dairy in a kosher kitchen. After eating meat, a waiting period (usually 3 to 6 hours) is required before consuming dairy
- Food Categories : Foods are classified into three groups:
- Meat (fleishig): meat and poultry and their derivatives.
- Dairy (milchig): milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and derivatives.
- Pareve (neutral): foods that contain neither meat nor dairy, such as fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Pareve foods can be eaten with either meat or dairy
- Kosher Preparation and Equipment : Food must be prepared using kosher utensils and equipment that have not been used for non-kosher foods or mixed meat and dairy. This includes separate preparation areas and cleaning tools
In summary, food is kosher if it comes from permitted sources, is slaughtered and prepared according to Jewish law, and meat and dairy are kept strictly separate throughout preparation and consumption
