Introduction to Kosher Food
Kosher foods are foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations. The word “kosher” derives from the Hebrew word meaning “clean” or “pure”. Kosher laws come from the Torah, the Jewish book of sacred texts. Because of this, eating kosher food is not only important for health reasons, but to show one’s dedication to the religion. Here is an introduction of the rules of kosher food. (Related topics: celebration facility in Westchester, private events facility in Westchester)
Kosher Meat
- Red Meat – Kosher animals are animals that chew their cud and have split-hooves. This includes antelope, bison, cow, deer, goat, sheep, and more. In addition to being a specific type and cut of of meat, kosher meat has to be prepared in a special way.
- Poultry – The Torah specifies 24 species of fowl that are permitted from being eaten. This means that all other kinds of poultry are considered kosher. The mainstream poultry eaten in the United States are chicken, turkey, duck, and goose. Poultry also has special instructions for preparation.
- Fish – There are 2 main rules to determine if a fish is kosher; the fish must have fins and scales and the scales must be removable without damaging the skin. Although kosher fish doesn’t have any specific instructions for preparation, the fish scales should be visible to the consumer, meaning you shouldn’t purchase filleted or ground fish.
Other Rules
- According to Rabbinic law, you should never consume fish and meat together.
- Meat and dairy should not be cooked or prepared at the same time. Even more, milk products should not be consumed after eating meat for a period time. The amount of time you should wait depends on the family’s tradition, but it’s usually around 6 hours. Meat can be eaten after dairy products in exception to hard cheese that has been aged 6 months or more. You also need to eat, drink, or rinse your mouth out before eating meat after dairy.
- The eggs of a non-kosher bird are not kosher. Eggs that come from a kosher bird that have blood spots should be discarded.
If you’re interested in preparing a kosher meal for an upcoming Bar mitzvah at our Bar mitzvah facility, make sure to follow all of the rules. In addition to what was stated above, there are many special instructions on how to prepare a kosher meal.