Not kosher foods. Kosher food

Religion is a special provisions and traditions that are observed in the rules of nutrition. The concept of kosher food is borrowed from Judaism and is often found among Jews. However, more and more often Lately such food can be found in the cuisine of many countries.

What does the term kosher food mean?

Kosher food is food prepared according to the canons of kashrut included in the legal records of the Halakha.

According to these rules, all dishes are prepared in accordance with traditional customs, and special organizations of Jews control the entire process. A special seal confirming the quality is put on the tested products.

All kosher products are divided into three main groups:

1. Basar are meat products;
2. Freebies are dairy products;
3. Parve is all other products.

The very concept of kosher means food that is healthy for the whole body and is completely suitable for use in food.

Benefit or harm?

People who first turned their attention to kosher dishes are wondering if such food is healthy? Of course for health it provides positive effect. This is due to the absence of preservatives, dyes and GMOs, and their packaging is completely sterile.

As for harm, this is a rather controversial issue. In only one study, specialists from America managed to prove that poultry meat cooked in the usual way has less harmful substances than in kosher-cooked meat.

How to cook kosher food

According to the rules of kashrut, meat and milk cannot be combined in one meal. The time gap between taking these products should be 5 hours. Also special rules are presented with a method of killing an animal - this should be done by a person trained for this. After slaughter and butchering, the meat is soaked so that all the blood is pumped out of it. Only after this procedure, the meat is given to the cook for further processing.

It is strictly forbidden to use meat from sick animals for cooking. Meat and dairy products are prepared using different utensils and in different cuisines. That is why it is common for Jewish homes to have two kitchens. If the area does not allow organizing two kitchens, then on one they put two stoves for cooking meat and dairy products on them.

List of kosher products

In order for food to be kosher, you need to use only products listed in the list of permitted food for its preparation:

• Meat. for cooking meat dishes you can use the carcasses of animals with cloven hooves and eating herbal products. These include moose, cows, sheep, goats, giraffes. There are exceptions, for example, the meat of pigs is allowed for non-herbivores, and the meat of camels, rabbits and hyraxes that do not have cloven hooves. When cooking, be sure to completely free the meat from the blood. According to the Jews, the use of blood in food makes a person cruel and aggressive. Eggs are also completely banned if they contain blood blotches.
• Bird. From poultry, you can use the meat of only domestic animals - chickens, ducks and geese. Of wild birds, only pigeon meat is allowed. The meat of eagles, hawks, pelicans and owls is completely banned.
• Eggs. For selection of eggs there is special rule is their form. The egg should be sharp on one side and round on the other side. If both edges are blunt, then they cannot be used for food. This may mean that the eggs come from scavenging birds.
• Fish. For cooking, you can use only fish with scales, tail and fins. It is strictly forbidden to use any seafood for food, since they have neither scales nor fins. In the list of kosher things, shrimp, octopus, sea worms, etc. are completely banned.
• Milk. For the preparation of dishes using milk, only raw materials taken from animals permitted by law are allowed. All other milk is under the strictest ban.
• Fruits and vegetables. There are no restrictions in this category of products. The only condition is only the absence of contact with non-kosher things. Also, you can not eat wormy fruits.

Doctors' opinion

According to doctors of various specialties, food prepared according to kosher canons is only important for observing religious rules. As far as health is concerned, kosher food does not have much effect on a person's health.

Previously, adherents of the kosher type of food experienced certain difficulties during travel. Currently, even many air carriers offer kosher cuisine to their passengers during the flight. Therefore, the observance of all religious canons, including nutrition, becomes problem-free, even when traveling away from home.

Kosher Recipes

In almost every major city you can find kosher dishes in cafes, but usually their cost is much higher. regular meals. But do not despair. Since the stores are already in enough Since various kosher products are sold, it will not be difficult to cook dishes in compliance with all religious traditions.

Strudel

One of the easiest and quickest kosher dishes to cook is salmon, cheese and spinach strudel. It can be served not only as holiday dish, but also just for gatherings with friends, because the strudel is not only very tasty, but also dietary.

Products for cooking:

1. 150 gr. sifted flour;
2. Egg;
3. 1 st. a spoonful of oil;
4. Some water.

From these products you need to knead soft dough. This usually takes no more than 10 minutes. After this, the dough cling film put in the refrigerator for half an hour.

At this time, you can do the filling: 150 gr. grate cheese, cut 0.5 kg of salmon into thin strips, and lightly stew spinach with butter. After that, mix all the ingredients and add the egg there, if desired, you can add salt.

The dough that has rested in the refrigerator must be rolled out very thinly on the table, about 50x70 cm in size. If the dough was kneaded correctly, it will not tear, while it will be thin, translucent to the light.

Sprinkle on a rolled sheet breadcrumbs, and from the edges you need to retreat 2 cm, and on the right side leave about 15 cm of the sheet empty. Then spread the filling in an even layer and roll up the roll. Ready roll greased with oil and put on a baking sheet in the oven for 40 minutes, while the temperature inside should be 2000 C. After baking, the strudel is cut into thick slices and offered with sour cream or vegetable salad.

Chicken

Cooking kosher chicken is not difficult at all. To do this, the kosher carcass is divided into 4 parts, rubbed with a mixture of salt and pepper. While the meat is soaking, prepare the sauce. To do this, mix a little soy sauce with a glass of red wine and add 4 tbsp. charoset spoons. The meat is poured with this mixture and cooked in an oven heated to 2000 for an hour.

Nowadays, the need for kosher food is only increasing. This is due to many factors - ease of preparation, exclusion of high costs, benefits for the body. Try to cook such a dish at home once, and you will remain an adherent of kosher cuisine for a long time.

Religion is not only the observance of certain traditions, but also the rules of nutrition. Kosher food is a term taken from Judaism and is commonly used by Jews, but has recently begun to appear in stores in many countries.

What does kosher food mean ^

Kosher food is food prepared according to the laws of kashrut, which, in turn, is included in the list of rules of the Halacha.

According to this code, dishes must be prepared in accordance with certain customs, and Jewish organizations, which put their stamp on the packages, control their preparation.

What is kosher food

In general, kosher foods fall into three groups:

• "Basar" - meat products;
• "parve" - ​​neutral;
• "freebie" - dairy.

The very concept of "kosher" means that such food is healthy and suitable for consumption, so the products used by Jews can now very often be found on store shelves.

Kosher Food: Benefit or Harm

Is kosher food healthy? Of course, it only has a positive effect on health, because it does not contain dyes, preservatives, stabilizers, GMOs and various drugs, and the packaging in which the products are stored is absolutely sterile.

As for the harm from Jewish kosher food, it was once announced by experts from the United States who compared such food with ordinary food. They were able to find out that a bird cooked in the usual way contains less harmful bacteria than one that was made kosher.

Kosher food: how to prepare meals

According to kashrut, you can not mix milk and meat in one meal: the time interval between their use should be at least five hours. In addition, separate requirements are imposed on the method of slaughtering animals: only a specially trained person should do this, and before the meat products fall into the hands of the cook, blood is pumped out of it by soaking.

It is strictly forbidden to eat the meat of sick animals, and dairy and meat food prepared not only different dishes but also indoors. That is why in Jewish families there are two kitchens, but if this is not possible, you can cook on two stoves.

What food is considered kosher ^

Kosher food: food list

To eat kosher, you need to know what foods are customary to eat in accordance with kashrut:

• Meat: this includes beef, goat meat, as well as moose, giraffes, gazelles and sheep - i.e. animals that have cloven hooves and eat plant food. From those who do not have cloven hooves, hyraxes, camels and rabbits are allowed, and from non-herbivores pork is allowed. The most important thing in such products is the absence of blood: according to the Jews, those who absorb it inside can become aggressive and cruel. Eggs with blood clots are also prohibited;
• Bird: owl, eagle, pelicans and hawks are prohibited, because you can only eat homemade food: geese, ducks, chickens. The only exceptions are pigeons;
• Eggs: they should have a special shape - be sharp at one end and rounded at the other. If both of their ends are blunted, they cannot be eaten, because. it is quite probable that they belong to carrion-eating birds of prey;
• Fish: it must have fins and scales. All seafood (octopuses, shrimp, worms, etc.) is completely prohibited. they have neither one nor the other;
• Milk only that which was obtained from kosher animals is allowed, otherwise it cannot be consumed;
• Vegetables and fruits: there are no restrictions here, except when they are wormy or have come into contact with non-kosher products.

Kosher food: what to eat kosher, halal and delicious

Non-kosher food: what to eat is not kosher

Kosher food recipes

Forshmak recipe from herring:

• We divide the herring into fillets, soak it in milk for 40 minutes, then take it out and grind it;
• We clean and remove the seeds from the apple, rub it on a grater;
• Boil eggs, three on a grater;
• Finely chop the onion, grind the potatoes boiled in their skins;
• We mix everything, chop with a knife to a creamy consistency;
• Add to the melted mass butter, pepper;
• Serve chilled.

Shakshuka Recipe:

• We cut into cubes a couple of sweet peppers, peel the tomatoes;
• Fry in olive oil in a frying pan chopped onion, then add pepper and fry for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally;
• We crush the garlic in a garlic press, mix with cumin, turmeric and chopped small pieces hot pepper, put everything in a pan for one minute;
• Add tomatoes there, fry for 3 minutes;
• We make a small indentation in vegetables with a spoon, drive eggs into it;
• Salt and pepper, cook until the protein is cooked;
• Sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Charlotte recipe:

• Peel apples from seeds and peel, cut into cubes;
• Beat the raw proteins with a mixer, while pouring sugar in small portions;
• Add the yolks, melted margarine and vanillin, add flour, salt and baking powder;
• Lubricate the mold with oil, pour a layer of dough there, place apples on top and add the remaining mixture;
• Lay out on the surface apple slices, grease with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon;
• Bake for half an hour in the oven at 200 degrees.

Is kosher cuisine useful: the opinion of doctors ^

According to doctors, kosher dishes are of great importance only from a religious point of view, however, in medicine in general, such products are not so categorical, arguing that the method of preparation and the ingredients themselves can affect health.

In the past, Jews faced many culinary difficulties during travel and flights, but now kosher food on planes is not uncommon, and some airlines provide it, so it is possible to comply with religious traditions and rules, even when far from home and not being able to cook food on their own.

Eastern horoscope for March 2019

Many have heard such a thing as "kosher". What does this term mean? In what cases is it used? What is the origin of this concept? The article will provide answers to these questions.

"Kosher" means "suitable" in Hebrew. Therefore, the concept of "kosher nutrition" today should be understood as the process of maintaining life and health with the help of food that does not harm a person.

Judaism - the oldest monotheistic religion in the world - involves the observance of religious prescriptions, norms and rules - kosher, which apply not only to clothing, cosmetics but also to products. According to this setting, Jews must prepare food in accordance with the laws of kashrut and strictly at a certain time.

The main purpose of the law is that kosher is a rational and healthy eating creating harmony in the development of the human body.

Kosher food

In the instructions of Moses, which are reflected in the written five-book law "Torah", it is indicated that non-kosher food has a bad effect on the health of the individual, his religious level decreases and his sensitivity worsens, therefore he is not capable of spiritual perception.

This law says that a person who has tasted the meat of a predator is capable of showing aggression and is able to stray from the true path. Therefore, only the fillets of herbivorous animals will be considered clean food. The meat of predators is classified as treif products, i.e. prohibited.

Features of kosher food and products

Kosher food involves human use strictly clean food. According to Jewish precepts, all types of plants are foodstuffs suitable for consumption. However, not all fish, poultry or animal meat will be kosher food.

The blood of birds, animals or fish slaughtered in a certain order must be absolutely excluded from the diet, except for fish. A prerequisite for the killing of animals is the use of a butcher sharp knife: so that the animal does not suffer, the slaughter process must be carried out quickly.

Before starting the process of boiling or frying meat, it goes through the stages of soaking in water, then aging in a special brine, and finally it is well rinsed.

The process of cutting and checking compliance with the conditions and criteria of kosher is carried out by a special qualified specialist - a shochet, who has a certain permission to slaughter the animal. In addition, the pig is considered unclean by the Jews, so pork will never be kosher.

Thus, the teaching of the "Torah" instructs a person in discipline and restrictions, instills antipathy to the shedding of blood and cruelty.

List of kosher foods and dishes

Kosher food is divided into three categories: meat (basar), dairy (free), and neutral (parve). The basic principle of kosher nutrition is the complete separation of dairy food from meat. Especially in order for the position of kosher to be observed, special canteens and kitchen appliances and utensils. Kashrut requires some utensils to be dipped in the mikvah before their initial use.

The process of preparing such products according to these principles involves the preparation of food in specially designated places.

Category neutral foods can be eaten at the same time as one of these categories. This variety includes those fruits and vegetables that have not come into contact with non-kosher foods or are not worms.

List clean products pretty big. This pasta and legumes, fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean, peanut and olive oil, certain types of alcohol and soft drinks, individual brands of tea and chocolate.

This list can be continued, but in any case, it is necessary to pay attention to the packaging of the product: it will definitely have a kosher sign on it. In the event that the sign is missing, consultation with a rabbi is necessary.

How to prepare kosher meals? Suitable are those in the process of preparation of which certain products were used. Therefore, a dish that has been vetted by a rabbi or prepared in an Israeli kitchen or Jewish restaurant will not necessarily be considered kosher. Not at all. kosher dish it is very easy to make your own, given all the signs of kosher for the products that you have in the refrigerator in the kitchen. However, the main and main feature- this, of course, is the purity in their preparation.

We will talk about the features of products that are suitable for use in food below.

kosher meat

Jewish cuisine involves the use of the meat of artiodactyl ruminants that feed on grass. They, thanks to the muscular and glandular sections of the stomach, have a thorough digestion of food. These are cows, and sheep, and goats, and elks, as well as gazelles. In addition, animals that do not have a cut of hooves are included here: rabbits, camels and hyraxes. In Thor you can find complete list kosher animals.

According to the Torah kashrut, kosher meats are chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys. However, there are still exceptions: the meat of carnivorous warm-blooded egg-laying animals.

Kosher dairy products

Does the concept of "kosher" apply to dairy products? What does it mean? Suitable products are considered milk, which is obtained from clean animals. Only in this case the product is acceptable for consumption. Otherwise, it cannot be used for food.

Kosher food has a number of specific customs and traditions. The principle of kosher states that after drinking milk or other dairy products, you should rinse your mouth and eat solid, neutral food that will not stick to your palate.

It is considered a very common custom to take breaks between receptions of different categories. kosher food. To eat meat, you need a break of 30-60 minutes. After meal durum varieties cheese and between the use of "basar" and "freebies" you must wait 6 hours. Milk can be eaten with fish, but from different dishes.

Fish classified as kosher

She does not need to be killed in a special way. However, there are exceptions here too: kosher fish should be with external horny cover and limbs. These are cod, flounder, tuna, pike, trout, salmon, herring, halibut, haddock. You can not eat crustaceans arthropods and soft-bodied. Insects, snakes and worms also do not belong to pure species products.

Jews do not eat fish along with meat products, but they can be put on the table together.

Kosher "parve"

As noted earlier, even raw fruit and vegetables. The only condition for keeping kosher in this case is the absence of insects in these products. Therefore, fruits and vegetables that are susceptible to damage by bugs and other insects are carefully checked and processed.

Bird eggs also belong to the neutral category. However, food is mostly allowed poultry with unequal ends, namely chicken, goose, turkey, pheasant and quail are also allowed. Jews consider the eggs of predators or those that feed on carrion to be unclean. Bloody foods are non-kosher. Therefore, they are checked before use.

These types of pure products do not even require a special mark and can be mixed with others in any combination. However, if they were mixed with dairy or meat types, then they no longer belong to the category of "parve".

Where can you find this product

Kosher products are marked with a special sign, which guarantees compliance with the principles of such nutrition, their usefulness, environmental friendliness and high quality. Due to some difficulties in preparing such food, the price of goods suitable for Jews differs significantly from the prices of food products that can be found in the market or in the supermarket.

Where is kosher food most often considered traditional? Mostly suitable products can be found in Israel, but recently even the population of other countries attaches great importance to proper nutrition, so you can find such products almost everywhere. And to make sure of its quality, the presence of the kosher sign of the rabbi, who controlled the production process of the product, will help.

Religious rules for eating food are not taken from the ceiling and are mainly ancient simplified sanitary norms and healthy lifestyle rules (at the then existing level of knowledge). However, these laws often become obsolete under the onslaught of scientific knowledge. For example, we have all heard of "kosher" food, let's look at what is "kosher" (and non-kosher) food.

« Kosher"is any food (even from Chinese food or Russian folk), but corresponding to the strict laws of "Kashrut" (the permissibility of something in terms of the laws contained in the Torah, Talmud, etc.)

The word "kosher" itself means "permissible", the word "kosher" is just a Russian derivative meaning that the food complies with the rules of Judaism.

Kosher McDonald's in Buenos Aires.

Contrary to popular belief, rabbis or other religious figures do not "bless" food to make it kosher. "Blessing" has nothing to do with the term "kosher".

Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared according to Jewish law, and there are many excellent kosher Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia and New York.

Conversely, traditional Jewish foods such as bagels, pancakes, matzah, and shara soup may not be kosher unless they have been prepared in accordance with Jewish law.

Some laws of kashrut are outdated in terms of healthy lifestyle

Many modern Jews believe that the laws of kashrut are just primitive health rules that are outdated. For example, according to modern scientific knowledge, there is no reason to consider camel or rabbit meat less healthy than cow or goat meat. There is also no direct scientific evidence or observation of harm from the combination of dairy and meat products(which is not kosher).

However, the logic here is different: a camel (not kosher for consumption) is more useful as a beast of burden than as a source of food.

The short answer is why the Jews keep these laws: because the Torah says so. The Torah does not define any reason for these laws, and the traditional Jew does not need to see any other reason. A more detailed version from the book "Being a Jew" by Rabbi Chaim Halevi Donin: keeping the laws is such self-control that you learn to control even the simplest, most basic instincts.

We will give here the basic rules of kosher with the comments of Zozhnik.

Basic rules for kosher food

The laws of kashrut follow from a few fairly simple, understandable rules:

1. Some animals cannot be eaten completely. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of animals, which are prohibited.

2. Of the animals that may be eaten, birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.

3. All blood must be removed from meat and poultry prior to cooking.

4. Some parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.

5. Fruits and vegetables are allowed but must be checked for parts that cannot be eaten.

6. Meat (meat of poultry and mammals) cannot be eaten together with dairy products. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with any meat or dairy products. (According to some opinions, fish cannot be eaten with meat).

There is no scientific or medical evidence of harm from the combination of dairy and meat products. It is important to understand that both meat and "milk" are foods rich in protein. Protein products- "heavy", require more effort for the body to digest them. It is for the digestion of protein foods that the body can spend up to 30% of the energy that it receives from them (on average, the body spends 5-10% of the energy contained in food for its digestion).

7. Utensils (including pots and pans and other cooking surfaces) that come into contact with meat cannot be used with dairy, and vice versa. Crockery that has come into contact with food products not of kosher origin, cannot be used with kosher food.

8. grape products made by non-Jews cannot be eaten.

9. There are several other rules that are not universal.

And now a little more on these issues.

Animals that cannot be eaten

Of the "beasts of the earth" you can eat any animal that has cloven hooves and is ruminant. Any land mammal that does not have both of these qualities is prohibited. The Torah indicates that camels, jerboas, hares and pigs are not kosher because they each lack one of these two qualifications. Cattle, sheep, goats, deer, bison are kosher.

Of the "water" creatures, you can eat everything that has feathers and scales. Thus, from shellfish such as lobster, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs, everything is prohibited. Fish such as tuna, carp, salmon and herring are allowed.

complete exclusion of some healthy seafood on the one hand, it impoverishes the diet with some trace elements. On the other hand, there are some controversial arguments in favor of giving up shrimp.

For birds, the criteria is less clear. The Torah provides a list of prohibited birds, but does not specify why these particular birds are prohibited. All birds included in the list are either birds of prey or scavengers, the rabbis claim that this was the basis for their distinction.

Other birds allowed, for example, chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys.

Rodents, reptiles, amphibians, insects are prohibited.

Kosher slaughter

Mammals and birds that may be eaten must be slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. It is forbidden to eat animals that died of natural causes or were killed by other animals - which is quite logical from a health point of view.

In addition, the animals must be free from diseases or organ defects at the time of slaughter. These restrictions do not apply to fish, only small and large livestock.

There are special rules for kosher slaughter of animals. Their meaning is reduced to a minimum of pain experienced by the animal before death. And this has an important meaning.

For the first time, I encountered the question “what does “kosher” mean in student years. In Moscow I met a small cafe "Kosher food". I knew "kosher" had something to do with Jews, but nothing else. Without hesitating, I went for a cup of coffee. At the same time, he asked what the name of the cafe means.

The meaning of the word "kosher"

"Kosher" means pure i.e. usable. For Jews, namely those who profess Judaism, this concept refers to products used for food and items used in everyday life. First of all, it concerns food. Here is a sample list of prohibitions related to kosher:

• cannot be eatenblood;
• can't eat predatory living beings and eggs of birds of prey;
• amphibians, reptiles, insects- also banned
• not all fish considered kosher, with fins and scales only;
• non-predatory animals are considered kosher if they are ruminant and artiodactyl at the same time;
• pork is not a kosher food.

The practical meaning of the concept of "kosher"

Why so many rules? First of all, it must be said that these rules come from Judaism and are religious. And, indeed, they are not easy to explain. As I was told there are no unequivocal medical studies that justify the kosherness of some products. There is an assumption that such rules restricted the contact of devout Jews with non-Jews. In addition, this contributed to the consolidation of Jewish society. Jews hold on to each other and each of them in any city can find like-minded people. In addition, I heard about in large numbers philosophical and religious answers to the question “what does “kosher” mean and why is it needed?”. For example, you should not eat the blood and meat of aggressive animals, so as not to adopt their anger and much more.

What does "kosher" mean in business

Enterprising Jews have long been using kosher rules to earn. A cafe in Moscow is one example. If I'm not mistaken, the annual turnover of the market kosher products today it is more than 100 billion dollars. There are special organizations that check products for kosher. In Israel, since the 70s, most large retail chains have been selling only kosher products. From the story of the owner of the cafe, I was impressed. I did not notice the practical meaning of adhering to a kosher diet, but the social, unifying aspect of these rules is really very important.