What is "kosher" food. Other Kosher Products
Kashrut is a system of ritual rules that determine whether something conforms to the requirements of Halakha, the Jewish Law. The laws of kashrut are based on the commandments of the Torah, as well as additional rules established by Jewish religious authorities, mainly in the Mishnah and Gemara, which together form the Talmud (Oral Torah).
Usually the term kashrut” is used in relation to a set of religious prescriptions related to food, but it is also used in other aspects of traditional life - from legal (for example, the competence of witnesses) to household ( choice of fabric) and ritual (tefillin, tzitzit).
Kosher food
In different Jewish communities, the laws of kashrut may vary somewhat. The greatest differences exist in the observance of Easter prohibitions. The rules of kashrut also differ among different currents within Judaism, for example, for especially believers there are especially strict rules, the so-called glat kosher(Yiddish גלאַט כּשר - "simply/strictly kosher").
Kosher meat
Animals that live on land
Only the meat of animals that are simultaneously ruminants (strictly herbivores) and artiodactyls (having cloven hooves). These are herbivores such as cows, sheep and goats, as well as: moose, gazelles, mountain goats, giraffes, etc.
The Torah lists four types of animals that have only one of the two signs of kosher. These are a pig, a camel, a hyrax and a hare. These animals are prohibited for food. Thus, pork is not kosher because the pig does not chew the cud, not because the pig is dirtier than other animals.
Birds
The Torah does not specify any signs for kosher birds. She simply lists the list of treef birds. Among them are such as an eagle, an owl, a pelican. Since today it is not possible to accurately identify all the treef birds listed in the Torah, only domestic birds are eaten, which are traditionally kosher. These are chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons.
Bird eggs must necessarily have different ends: one is sharper, the other is more rounded. The eggs of those bird species that have the same ends: either both are sharp or both are blunt - you can’t eat (usually such birds are predatory or scavengers). Since blood is strictly prohibited for consumption, eggs that have a blood clot in them are not kosher.
Biblical animals whose name has not been established
The meaning of the names of some animals mentioned in the Pentateuch in connection with kashrut has not been precisely established by researchers. Among them: " anaka» , « summera» , « homet», « tinshemet» , « khargol» , « hagav» , « solam».
Slaughter of livestock and poultry shechita) and meat koshering
The laws of kashrut also apply to the process of slaughtering an animal. For meat to be fully kosher, it must meet several requirements:
There are also special laws for the ritual preparation of a knife, with which an animal will be slaughtered - how to sharpen a knife, check that there is not the slightest chip on it, etc.; laws about where and how to cut (only in one movement and only the throat in the area where the carotid artery passes). The meat of properly slaughtered animals whose health has been irreparably damaged is not kosher.
The Torah forbids the consumption of blood. Therefore, the meat is soaked in water at room temperature, and then placed on a special salting board and sprinkled with coarse salt. Salt absorbs blood. After that, the meat is thoroughly washed.
Sho(th)hat usually studies in a yeshiva for many years in order to gain a general knowledge of Jewish law. Then he takes a special course for carvers, lasting about a year and culminating in an exam. Only after that he gets the right to do shechita. The laws on shechit and checking the carcass of an animal for kosher are very numerous and complex, therefore only a person who has thoroughly studied them and received an appropriate diploma is entitled to practice this craft.
The specialist who checks the carcass of an animal intended for food is called mashgiah(Hebrew משגיח, supervising). The mashgiah examines the carcass to determine if there are any signs of illness that would make the meat treif. There are other professions associated with kashrut, such as menaker(Hebrew מנקר ) - a person who cleans the back of the carcass from veins forbidden for food.
Kosher fish
"Fish" in this case is an expanded concept, which includes not only the fish itself, but also other animals living in the water. Fish, according to the laws of kashrut, is not meat, and therefore the rules regarding meat products do not apply to it. The fish is "parve" (from Yiddish פּאַרעװע, "neither milk nor meat", "neutral"), that is, it can be used with both meat and dairy products. However, there is a tradition not to eat fish with meat.
Kosher fish, according to the definition of kashrut, have two mandatory features: they have scales and fins. The kosher scales are not firmly attached to the body of the fish and can be easily removed if you run your fingernail over the fish. In case there is doubt about the presence of fins or scales in a fish, there are auxiliary signs: a kosher fish has gills, a backbone, and must spawn.
Honey production begins the moment the worker bees leave the hive to collect nectar or pollen. The bee collects nectar in a bag placed on its body and brings it to the hive. In the hive, nectar is passed from one bee to another, chewed and spit out several times. This forms a thick syrup that contains more protein and very little moisture. The worker bee pours the syrup into the cell of the honeycomb and then blows it with her wings. This makes the syrup even thicker. This is how honey is made.
Thus, despite the fact that, from a strictly scientific point of view, nectar is subjected to enzymatic biotransformation by the secrets secreted in the goiter of a honey bee, from the point of view of kashrut, honey is a flower juice processed by a bee and therefore is considered a product of vegetable, not animal origin.
Kosher drinks
Some varieties of vodka are tref, because they contain milk additives (for example, Posolskaya vodka).
Easter kashrut
For products in factory packaging, in addition to the kashrut stamp, there must be a special stamp “ Kasher Le Pesach” (“Kosher for Passover”).
Chametz
On Pesach, you can not only use, but also own leaven (chametz).
Examples of kvass:
- Any cereals - wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt - that have come into contact with water or other liquids should be considered as chametz, as they may begin to ferment.
- Flour foods: flour noodles, vermicelli, oatmeal, bread, cake, biscuits, pastries, matzah, and matzah dishes not made specifically for Pesach.
- Cereal products: corn flakes, puffed wheat grains, crushed wheat, etc.
- Malt Products: All malt and yeast products, vegetable extracts, mustard and other seasonings.
- Beverages: Beer, whiskey and other alcoholic beverages, malt vinegar and pickled foods containing malt vinegar, fruit essences, glucose.
In different Jewish communities, the rules regarding leaven may differ from each other. So, Ashkenazim are forbidden to eat and use the so-called. kitniyot: products containing legumes, rice, and similar products, such as peanuts, etc. There are different customs in relation to various vegetable oils, for example, soybean and corn oils.
Opinions on the meaning of kashrut
Benefits of kosher food
According to this opinion, the Creator, who created the world, gave mankind the Law, according to which one should live. He knows better than anyone what is good and useful for the spiritual well-being of a person. Just as if a doctor gives a patient certain medicines or prescribes a diet, the patient will follow the doctor's instructions without even understanding their meaning. The patient understands that the doctor knows best what kind of treatment is needed, and takes the prescribed medications, even if he has no idea how exactly they work.
Striving for Holiness
According to this view, the purpose of the laws of kashrut is to inculcate such qualities as self-discipline and self-restraint, and to elevate the act of eating from an animal level to a highly organized and conscious one.
Thus, the laws of kashrut are part of the system of commandments of the Torah, by fulfilling which a person learns to control his desires and passions and, thereby, grows spiritually.
Preservation of national self-identification
Many kosher laws are designed to limit contact with non-Jews. For example, many types of food are considered treif only because they are prepared by non-Jews. Grape wine made by non-Jews is also prohibited.
These "uncomfortable" laws serve as a barrier, a barrier to contact, which can eventually lead to marriage with a non-Jew, which is a serious violation of the Torah. Kashrut also brings Jews closer together wherever they are. When a kosher Jew travels to another city or country, he will look for a rabbi and community there where he can get kosher food. And in the synagogue, the Jew meets even more new friends who share his views and moral values. Thus, a kosher Jew will never find himself alone in any Jewish city in the world.
When someone in a non-kosher restaurant orders beef steak instead of pork chops in an attempt to keep "kosher", I no longer laugh at him. The choice of this man may indicate his attempt to give up non-kosher pork... If he refuses butter and does not dilute his coffee with milk after meat, I respect this man even more, because he obviously remembers the commandment of Kashrut "DO NOT BOIL CALF IN MOTHER'S MILK "... And if he generally prefers fish to meat, I see in him a person who is seriously trying to live according to the commandments of God
R. Zalman Schachter, "The State of the Jewish Faith"
moral values
According to this approach, the purpose of the laws of kashrut is to
- reduce to a minimum the number of animals that can be killed;
- to kill animals in the most painless way;
- cultivate an aversion to the shedding of blood.
Cruelty to animals is expressly prohibited by the Torah. Hunting and killing animals for entertainment are prohibited. Animals can only be killed for food, medical research, etc. Shechita(slaughter according to the Torah) - is one of the most humane methods of killing an animal. According to the laws of kosher, any injured animal is no longer kosher. Therefore, animals should be killed quickly - with one blow, in order to reduce pain to a minimum. The tools used by the carver (knife, ax) must be sharp. The animal loses consciousness in a fraction of a second.
The Torah also forbids the consumption of blood. This explains the special laws of slaughtering, soaking and salting meat, which ensure the removal of blood. Thus the Torah teaches not to be cruel.
It is surprising that none of the Israelis' neighbors share their absolute ban on the use of blood. They look at blood as a food product... Blood is a symbol of life. According to the laws of Judaism, a person has the right to maintain his life by eating only a minimum amount of living matter ... A person does not have the right to encroach on "life" itself. Therefore, the blood - life - must be symbolically "returned to God" - the meat must be bled before cooking.
Jacob Milgrom, professor at the University of Berkeley
Objectivity and kashrut brands
The packaging of a product may have several seals of authorities that verify kosherness. This is done to satisfy all market segments.
From all of the above, it follows that kashrut is a hermeneutical code of subjective judgments, and it cannot be confirmed by objective laboratory research. Therefore, many believers do not rely on kosher licenses from government departments such as the Chief Rabbinate in Israel or the New York State Kosher Inspectorate, or large organizations like Orthodox Union, but prefer licensing from a rabbi known to them or revered in their community.
Since the 1950s, there has been a generally accepted international trademark for kosher food products - the letter "TO" in a circle - confirming the kosher nature of the product. There may be several seals and brand marks on the package. This means that the producers took care to obtain a kashrut license in different instances in order to satisfy all possible market segments. In Israel in 1977, all major supermarket chains eliminated non-kosher products from their shelves. In the Israel Defense Forces, only kosher food is required.
Market for kosher products
Nowadays, the market for kosher products has become a huge business. Only in the US the annual turnover of the market is, according to various estimates, from 50 to 150 billion dollars. According to Food Industry News magazine, the market for kosher products is actively expanding, conquering large segments of non-Jewish consumers.
According to Kosher Today magazine, among the 11 million Americans who choose kosher foods, only one million are actually Jews. Kosher products are consumed not only by devout Jews, but also by other categories of consumers: vegetarians, Seventh-day Adventists, Muslims, people with allergies to lactose or gluten, and many other categories of consumers.
Kosher Today magazine reported in early 2002 that the US kosher market was growing at a rate of 5.9% annually and that of kosher restaurants by more than 10%. According to other reports, the market growth is about 15% per year.
The concept of kosher food came to us from the Jews. These people adhere to kosher in culinary and legal matters. In our article, we will focus only on food and find out what is kosher food.
These laws have been defined by the Torah for more than 3,500 years, and the Jews strictly adhere to them for the same amount of time. The very first thing a culinary kashrut begins with is that dishes for eating meat and dairy food should always be stored separately, even they need to be washed in separate sinks or dishwashers. Meat should not be stored in the refrigerator where fish and dairy products are stored. Jews have breakfast with eggs, fish, dairy products, vegetables. In the afternoon, for dinner, you can eat meat, desserts that do not contain protein and dairy products, vegetables, fruits. Now let's take a closer look at food.
Meat and fish
- Meat - you can eat any animal, except pork. An animal that is sick or killed during a hunt, fat, thigh is strictly prohibited. He monitors the kosherness and origin of the meat - a specially trained carver, he knows how to properly butcher, remove fat and blood. Then he puts a seal on the meat, which confirms the kosher. An interesting fact about meat kashrut is that McDonalds has changed the technology of making burger patties specifically for Jews. Meat is not cooked in a pan, but exclusively on coals.
- Poultry is kosher, and pigeons are also included in it. Grilled or fire-cooked turkey and chicken hearts are considered kosher. Delicacies in the form of insects, worms, frogs are strictly forbidden to eat. But several species of locusts are allowed.
- A fish that is kosher in the presence of scales and fins. Cook it on fire or in the oven. Marine life such as lobsters, crabs, eels are forbidden to eat. Red caviar is considered kosher, while black caviar is not.
Cereals and fruits
- Any cereals: wheat, barley, oats, yeast products and alcohol can be eaten on any day except Easter. On the days of Passover, these specific prohibitions are added to the usual kashrut.
- Before eating fruits that are susceptible to worm damage, such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, etc., they are carefully checked.
Dairy products, bread
- Do not mix dairy products with meat. The break between taking meat and milk should be at least 6 hours, and between milk and meat - 2 hours.
- Bread is considered kosher only if it is made from kosher ingredients.
Alcohol
Wine made by a non-Jew is not kosher. Alcoholic drinks such as beer are considered kosher if they are prepared according to a certain technology.
Traditional snack of kosher cuisine
Hummus is a traditional addition to Jewish dishes. This is nut butter. It is eaten with absolutely any food from bread to salads.
While preparing kosher food in a restaurant or in their own kitchen, Jews must read a prayer. The taste and appearance of kosher dishes and products are no different from ordinary ones.
Many at least once in their lives heard the definition of "kosher". Most associate it exclusively with Jewish cuisine.
In fact, the meaning of the word "kosher" is much broader. What does this concept mean in Israel and how does it relate to food and drink?
Kosher means natural
The word "kosher" comes from the concept of "kashrut" - laws and regulations relating to the life of Jews. The set of these provisions is described in the Torah, the main Jewish collection of religious texts. Of the more than 600 commandments, over 50 relate to food and define what a kosher food is.
The requirements are mainly imposed on the cultivation of crops, slaughter of livestock and pre-treatment of raw materials, the composition of products. The content of any foreign impurities and non-natural additives is almost always excluded. In other words, kosher means that it corresponds to the accepted canons, natural. Therefore, you should not be afraid of kosher food at all.
The concept of "kosher" in the world has become synonymous with naturalness and health benefits. So, kosher cosmetics can never contain parabens and other artificial ingredients.
Animals, plants, and even insects can be kosher.Meat and fish
So, what is kosher food for Jews? The Torah allows you to eat mammals that simultaneously correspond to two characteristics - ruminants and artiodactyls (goats, sheep, cows, deer, roe deer). This means that horse meat, hare meat, camel meat are immediately banned.
As for birds, the book lists 24 non-kosher species. Basically, these are those winged ones that we would hardly eat every day anyway: crows, owls, cuckoos. Jews traditionally cook chicken, duck, goose and turkey.
The answer to the question of what a kosher food product means has another important condition. Meat must not contain blood. Therefore, the slaughter is carried out by a specially trained rabbi (shochet). Among other things, he must know how not to hurt the animal - this is one of the strictest prescriptions.
The fish should also have two differences: scales and fins. Jews consider catfish, sturgeon, eel and seafood (crayfish, shrimp) unfit for consumption. Caviar is recognized as kosher if it is obtained from fish allowed for consumption.
The list of unlawful food among the Jews includes tigers and other predatory animals, as well as reptiles, worms and insects, with the exception of some types of locusts. Interestingly, honey is also included in the list of kosher products, although bees are not considered kosher.
Vegetables, fruits and other plants
Vegetable food should not be poisonous (potato tops, tomatoes, raw plum, peach seeds, apple seeds) and contain insects. Compliance with the latter requirement is achieved by a special check of vegetables.
Basically, all vegetable, fruit and grain crops among Jews are recognized as kosher. There are several regulations for the cultivation and cultivation of the soil, planting plants, but they are not of fundamental importance for tourists.
Dairy and flour products
Since cereals and the flour made from them are recognized as kosher, the main requirement relates to the composition of finished food products. Jews consider unacceptable the use of animal fats, flavoring and aromatic additives.
An additional standard is set for the baking of "Jewish bread" (pat-yisrael), which involves the use of certain cereals and the obligatory participation of a Jew, for example, in lighting a fire. But this prescription more often affects the household.
With dairy products, too, everything is quite simple. Everything that is given by kosher animals is considered permissible. This means that Jews do not have categorical prohibitions on milk and eggs. The main thing is that there are no non-kosher additives in the composition - they can be, for example, some thickeners or flavors. It is strictly forbidden to mix meat and dairy products.
Beverages
- in the list of the most stringent restrictions. Non-kosher wines are all wines produced outside of Israel. Only Jews should participate in the process of their manufacture. Special requirements apply to the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. For example, you cannot take the fourth crop for production. In addition, many pasteurize - in this case, even if a non-Jew opens the bottle, it will not lose its kosher.
Also on the list of prohibited drinks is alcohol that has been aged in wine barrels, such as cognac or whiskey, or contains non-kosher additives. Most of the beers, rum, vodka, tequila, gin do not cause any complaints.
Any coffee, tea, and most juices, as long as they do not contain dairy or wine components, are kosher drinks.
Kosher foods can be recognized by the sign
In order not to make a mistake in choosing and not to memorize the list of what is permitted, when buying, you need to look for kosher signs on products - “echsher”. They have the right to assign only Jewish organizations that control the quality of goods. There are at least 100 variations of such signs in the world.
The most common word on food labels is “kosher”. In European and American versions - the letters "K", "U" or a combination of "KS".
As for catering, there are practically no non-kosher restaurants in Israel. Even McDonald's hamburgers are subject to certification.Kosher and Halal are different products
There is an opinion that kosher and halal mean the same thing. In a broad sense, this is true. Both terms are related to food and are regulated by the main religious law - the Jewish Torah and the Muslim Quran. But if you look deeper, there are differences. How is kosher food different from halal food?
In both Judaism and Islam, the slaughter of an animal is a whole ritual that is carried out by a specific person. Similar are the prohibitions regarding food, for example, in relation to the blood of animals.
Also, in Muslim countries they do not eat pork (you can cook the meat of any herbivore with a "split hoof"). The meat of land-dwelling carnivores and birds of prey is prohibited, while fish and seafood can be served without restriction. Finally, Muslims do not drink alcohol.
Like kosher, halal cosmetics can only contain natural oils, minerals and extracts. It is strictly forbidden to use animal fats, unhealthy additives, alcohol, glycerin in the production.Orthodoxy does not exclude kosher products
Many people wonder if Orthodox Christians can eat kosher food? If we turn to the canons of the Christian religion, there are no food prohibitions in Orthodoxy. Restrictions are set for special periods of humility and spiritual renewal. Christmas, Great, Petrov, Assumption fasts, as well as all Wednesdays and Fridays - the time of complete abstinence from meat and dairy products. So, nothing forbids an Orthodox tourist to try kosher products in Israel.
The definition of "kosher" comes from the name of the set of Jewish religious rules "kosher", most often associated with food. Kashrut clearly regulates the food that a real Jew can eat.
kosher meat
Only the meat of those animals that are both ruminant and artiodactyl are considered kosher. The absence of one of these features makes the meat unfit for food. That is why the Jews are not or hare. But Jews can eat beef and lamb in unlimited quantities. Even the meat of artiodactyl and herbivorous kashrut allows them to eat.
But the belonging of meat to one or another type of animal does not in itself serve as a sign of its kosher. There is a whole set of rules for kosher slaughter of animals - shechita. This is a whole science. Animal slaughterer - Shoikhet, has been studying his bloody trade for about a year and even passes an exam. Indeed, in order for the meat of an animal to be recognized as kosher, it must be killed with one movement of a sharply sharpened knife, without inflicting even the smallest lacerations or punctures. Otherwise, the meat is recognized as non-kosher and is not allowed to be eaten by Jews.
The Torah also strictly forbids the consumption of blood. Therefore, the skinned carcass of an animal is subjected to a thorough examination for the presence of blood on it. And even the field of this procedure, the meat is still thoroughly soaked in water.
Kosher poultry, fish and other products
The two main features of a kosher fish are easily detachable scales and fins. Therefore, all fish, with the exception of catfish, sturgeon, and eel, are kosher. And even black sturgeon caviar is not recognized as such due to its own fault.
Most birds are also kosher. The only exceptions are predators. Domestic birds are absolutely all suitable for food for the Jews.
As for dairy products, they are all kosher in and of themselves. But kashrut prescribes their separate use from meat. After eating them, one to six hours must pass (the period varies in different Jewish communities) before you can start eating. The time interval between eating meat after dairy products is much lower and is only half an hour. Failure to follow these rules renders both meat and dairy products non-kosher.
The same set of rules categorically does not recognize the kosher meat of reptiles and amphibians.
Many nations have traditions and prohibitions associated with limiting the consumption of certain foods. There are no prohibitions as such in Russian cuisine: we simply don’t eat what we are not used to, or what seems unacceptable to us, and therefore there is no need for official prohibitions.
But everyone in Russia has probably heard about the prohibitions that exist for Muslims and Jews. Most often it is mentioned that Muslims should not eat pork, but with Jewish cuisine everything is more complicated: there are more prohibitions in it, and many of them may seem strange and incomprehensible to us.
Food that is allowed to be eaten is called kosher in Israel, and Jews living in other countries and strictly observing the “faith of the fathers” include only kosher foods in their diet. The origin of the word "kosher" goes back to the concept of "kashrut", which in Judaism denotes compliance with Halakha - traditional Jewish law based on many religious commandments. That's so hard; however, the requirements imposed by Jewish law on products are quite close to the concepts of healthy and separate nutrition. For example, it is strictly forbidden for Jews to mix meat and dairy products, and rightly so, since they are completely incompatible with each other.
Perhaps for this reason, not only Jews are interested in kosher products in Russia, and many people want to know more about this.
Kosher - not kosher
Kosher meat products are derived from the meat of land-dwelling herbivores. These are ruminant ungulates, but their hooves are cloven: sheep, goats and cattle; it is also allowed to eat the meat of elk and giraffes. Pork, rabbit meat and camel meat are prohibited. It is forbidden to consume blood in any form, so the meat of kosher animals is always soaked and washed in special ways. Animals must also be slaughtered according to the rules: this is done by kosher butchers who have undergone special training.
The following kosher dish combines two whole Jewish recipes. To bake delicious chicken in a charoset, you must first cook the charoset itself - a truly Jewish dish, made from fruits, nuts, pomegranate juice (wine) and spices. Gotta take 1-2
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