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. it 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
Two main features kosher fish- These are easily detachable scales and fins. Therefore, all fish, with the exception of catfish, sturgeon, and eel, are kosher. And even black sturgeon caviar due to his own fault, he is not recognized as such.
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.
Almost everyone knows about the existence of the concept of "kosher food". What is this term? What does it mean? The concept of kosher products came to us from Israel. It is there that there is a strict set of certain laws and rules for believing Jews - halakha. This list of norms covers the foundations of both family and religious, as well as public life. The concept of “kashrut” is present in the halacha. It means the suitability and permissibility of something for the life of believers.
Jews strictly adhere to the laws of kashrut when choosing products for cooking. variety of dishes. They dictate religious rules and ways of storing food. In other words, the control over the quality of kosher food is quite strict. It is carried out by one hundred and seventy organizations in Israel, each of which has its own seal. In the event that the food meets the requirements of kosher, everyone who wants to try it will know about it. The product will be marked with one of these seals.
What does it include? Foods that must be consumed according to the laws of the halakha include:
- "Basar" (meat products);
- "freebie" (dairy products);
- "parve" (neutral products).
What does basar kosher food mean? This is animal meat. Moreover, only ruminant herbivores with cloven hooves, whose habitat is land, are suitable for the term "basar". Thus, cows and sheep, gazelles and goats, giraffes and elks can be attributed to kosher animals. Pigs, rabbits and camels are not included in this list. In order to become kosher, the meat must not have blood. Religious laws are very strict in this regard. It is believed that eating food with blood (even if it is contained in an egg in the form of a clot) awakens cruelty in a person.
From poultry, only turkeys and ducks, chickens and geese, as well as pigeons, were included in the list of kosher. Eggs permitted by religious laws to be eaten must have one pointed and the other rounded end. Fish considered kosher has two characteristics. She must have fins and scales. Eating insects, worms and snakes is halakha prohibited.
Dairy products that fit the concept of kosher food, what is it? The list of "freebies" includes only those foods that are considered clean. In other words, dairy products should only come from kosher animals.
Neutral products suitable for the term kosher food, what is it? "Parve" is non-wormy fruits and vegetables. In addition, neutral foods are allowed to be eaten by religious laws only when they have not been in contact with non-kosher food. For example, it is forbidden to feast on a tomato lubricated with pork fat.
Kosher products are quite common in the Israeli market. However, this trend has been steadily changing in recent years. Kosher food has already appeared in Moscow. And the point here is not the increase in the number of Jews living in the capital. It's just that more and more people attach importance to proper and healthy nutrition.
Dishes prepared from products corresponding to kashrut are offered by a dozen restaurants in Moscow. Moreover, the number of such establishments is steadily growing every year. In Izmailovo, you can taste food cooked in compliance with Jewish religious canons at the Eshel restaurant. On Tsvetnoy Boulevard, you can visit the Tel Aviv restaurant, and on Sadovo-Triumfalnaya, the Shokoladnitsa coffee shop will offer a wide selection of kosher dairy products.
Kosher is considered the meat of those animals that chew the cud and have paired hooves: sheep, goats, cows, deer. You can not include in the diet the meat of a pig, dog, rabbit, cat, horse, bear, camel, whale, seal, lion and other animals that belong to the class of carnivores. Do not eat meat from a sick animal, or the meat of an animal that was wrongly slaughtered, as well as the meat of an animal that died a natural death.
In order for the meat to become kosher, the animal is slaughtered so as to cause him as little pain and suffering as possible - in one movement with a sharp knife, and then all the blood is removed: for this, the meat is soaked in water, salted and placed on a grate so that the remaining blood is glassed, and washed well after an hour.
According to the Jewish law ‘Do not eat blood (blood is considered to be a sign of a living being)’ the liver is not allowed to be boiled or fried in a pan: it can only be cooked on open fire- the product is cut and washed with water, salted and roasted over the fire, after heat treatment offal should be washed again with water. Only after the manipulations have been done, it is allowed for consumption, or for cooking (frying) in a special dish for meat.
The thighs of the animal are not suitable for food, from which the sciatic nerves are not removed, as well as the fat near the stomach. According to the commandment: 'Do not boil a goat in its mother's milk' (Ex. 23:19), one cannot mix meat and milk, even these products can be eaten only with a time interval of 6 hours, and the interval between eating from milk and meat is no less two. The word "milk" in this commandment means all dairy products: sour cream, cheese, butter, cottage cheese, kefir. The fulfillment of this prescription is so thorough that for the preparation of such dishes, different dishes, which stands in separate cabinets. Jews with sufficient financial resources equip two kitchens: dairy and meat.
The following birds are considered kosher: geese, chickens, ducks, turkeys, quails, pigeons and pheasants. Unfit for food - a lot of predatory and wild birds, among which the eagle, pelican, owl, crow, stork, seagull. Unclean and the eggs of these birds. All birds must be healthy and properly slaughtered.
According to the commandments of kashrut, a product from a non-kosher animal (milk, eggs) is also non-kosher. For example, you can not eat turtle eggs - a turtle refers to a type of reptile that is unfit for consumption. Camel milk is also considered club milk. An exception is honey, a waste product of bee insects.
Kosher fish
Suitable for Jews is the fish that has scales and fins. Clubs include dolphins, catfish, catfish, eels. Crustaceans (crabs, crayfish, lobsters, shrimps) and shellfish (mussels, snails, oysters) are considered clubs (unclean) - not corresponding to the principles of kashrut. The blood prohibition law does not apply to fish. Sturgeon caviar is one of the unclean waste products of fish. Fish belongs to the steam (neutral) products; it can be combined with dairy products. Cooking meat and fish dishes is not recommended from the point of view of medicine.
The Torah forbids eating snakes, frogs and worms, as well as all insects (with the exception of four types of locusts).
Other Kosher Products
Bread and wine that was made by a non-Jew is not considered kosher. During the Easter holiday, it is forbidden to use bread for the preparation of which yeast was used. Instead, the Jews eat thin cakes with flour and water, called matzo.
Tableware
Eating items may become non-kosher if hot club food has been laid out on them. In a family where food laws are strictly adhered to, this cannot happen, but violations of this rule are possible during a trip to a party or a restaurant.
Food made from milk and meat is forbidden to be served together on the table.
Almost everyone who is going to travel to Israel, or those who have already visited this country, have heard that food in Israel is kosher. Some believe that this is a special, dietary or separate meals. In fact, kosher food- This is food prepared according to the rules of kashrut.
kashrut- a term in Judaism, meaning the permissibility or suitability of something from the point of view of Halakha (the totality of laws contained in the Torah and Talmud). In Judaism, the term "kashrut" is used not only in relation to nutrition, but is also used in other aspects of traditional life - from legal to domestic.
Jewish laws from ancient times control every aspect of human life in the most strict way, this also applies to food and to the methods of their preparation. The laws of kashrut state that Jews are forbidden to eat anything, and even permitted food must be prepared according to the rules.
What are these rules?
Animals:
Kosher animals have two characteristics: they must have cloven hooves and chew the cud. They are herbivores such as cows, sheep and goats. Many wild herbivores: moose, deer, gazelles, mountain goats, etc. also kosher. The Torah lists four types of animals that have only one of the two signs of kosher: pig, camel, hyrax and hare - these animals are forbidden for food. An animal that is sick or killed while hunting is not suitable for food. Fat is forbidden near the stomach and intestines, as well as the thigh, from which the sciatic nerve has not been removed (in memory of the forefather Jacob, whom an angel wounded in the thigh).
The laws of kashrut also apply to the process of slaughtering an animal. For meat to be fully kosher, it must meet certain requirements. A shochet (skilled carver) usually studies for many years 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 slaughter the animal. The laws on shechita (slaughtering an animal) 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 engage in this craft.
Bird:
The Torah defines no signs for kosher birds, therefore, only domestic birds are eaten, the kosher nature of which is confirmed by traditions. These are chickens, turkeys, quails, ducks, geese and pigeons.
Eggs also have a sign of kosher: they must be from kosher birds, have different ends (one is sharper, the other is more rounded). Since blood is strictly prohibited for consumption, eggs in the yolk of which there is a blood clot are unusable, but such eggs are not necessarily thrown away, but simply freed from blood and eaten.
Fish:
Kosher fish have two characteristics: they have scales and fins. Only fish species that have both of these characteristics are allowed.
All crustaceans (crabs, crayfish, lobsters, shrimp) and shellfish (octopuses, oysters, squids) are non-kosher and prohibited.
Insects and amphibians:
Kashrut strictly forbids eating insects (except locusts), amphibians and reptiles. This restriction requires careful selection and processing of greens, vegetables, fruits, as well as flour and cereals.
The only exception to this rule is honey, the product of a non-kosher insect, which is allowed for consumption because (according to kashrut) it is a flower juice processed by a bee and is therefore considered a product plant origin, and is not a product of the vital activity of the bee organism.
Beverages:
Basically, the kosherness of drinks is associated with the consumption of wine. Since all the agricultural laws of the Torah are associated exclusively with the Land of Israel and do not apply in other countries, then kosher wine is grown only in Israel, exclusively by religious Jews who observed all the rules of kashrut.
Separately meat and dairy: this rule is one of known rules kashrut. It is forbidden to mix dairy and meat products: cook or eat them together. Because of this, a kosher kitchen should have separate utensils and, preferably, separate kitchen equipment for cooking meat and dairy.
In addition, the laws of kashrut establish the need for a time interval between the intake of meat food and the intake of dairy food.
Kosher food is connected not only directly with food, but also with utensils. All new utensils are kosher. Dishes can become non-kosher if non-kosher food has been cooked or stored in them, such dishes can be koshered by boiling them or roasting them on fire. But this only applies to metal and glassware: dishes made of porcelain, wood or clay cannot be koshered.
What explains such a set of rules for cooking and eating food? At the moment, there are several explanations for the commandment of kosher:
Will of the Almighty: the observance of the laws of kashrut is performed solely as a sign of submission to the will of God.
Health (usefulness of kosher food): observance of the rules of kashrut is a sign of trust in God who created the world, who gave mankind the Law, in accordance with which one should live. He knows better than anyone what is good and useful for the spiritual well-being of a person and his physical health. Kosher food is traditionally considered healthier and safer than regular food, as the entire production process is strictly controlled and all technical and hygienic requirements are met.
Mercy (moral values): Cruelty to animals is expressly prohibited by the Torah. Hunting and killing animals for fun is prohibited. According to scientific research, "shchita" (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, the slaughterer kills animals in one motion to reduce pain to a minimum, while the animal loses consciousness in a fraction of a second.
Striving for Holiness: wherever kosher is spoken of, the Torah speaks of holiness. According to this view, the purpose of the laws of kashrut is to instill qualities such as self-discipline and the ability to self-restraint. By controlling his diet, a person learns to control his desires and passions and, thereby, grows spiritually.
Maintaining Unity: kashrut brings Jews closer together wherever they are. When a kosher Jew travels to another city or country, he will look for a synagogue, a rabbi, and a community where he can get kosher food. Thus, a kosher Jew will never find himself alone in any Jewish city in the world.
Since the kosherness of foods cannot be objectively verified, some Jewish communities rely on the judgment of a rabbi, who is recognized as an authority in that community, in matters of kosherness.
Religious rules for eating food are not taken from the ceiling and are mostly 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 compatibility of dairy and meat products (and this 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
From 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.
Exist special rules 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.
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