Kosher foods are those that conform to the specifications of rabbinic dietary law taken from the Torah. It is a common misconception that Jewish followers are the only consumers of kosher foods. However, many people around the world choose to eat kosher foods because they consider them to be healthier. This can be attributed to the extra care taken to produce and prepare the food.
Meat and Dairy
There are only a select number of meat products that fit kosher specifications. Cloven-hoofed animals that chew their own cud such as deer, sheep, goat and cattle are acceptable kosher meats, according to Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:6 of the Torah. Certain birds, including turkey, chicken, duck and goose, are considered to be kosher as well. Of the animals that live in the water, only those with fins and scales can be eaten. For example, tuna, carp and salmon are permitted while lobster and shellfish are not. There are also strict specifications for kosher dairy products. Milk and cheese are regarded as kosher only if the product is obtained from a kosher animal. Supervision must be present during production to ensure the milk is obtained from a kosher animal.
Pareve Foods
Specifications of rabbinic law prohibit meat and milk to be served together. However, pareve foods are considered to be neutral and can be eaten with meat or dairy. These foods do not contain dairy or meat ingredients and are not processed with heat on dairy or meat equipment. Grains and cereals are kosher as long as they are unprocessed. Fruits and vegetables must be cleaned and inspected which prevents non-kosher items such as insects from being consumed. Also, eggs must come from kosher birds such as chicken.
Animal Slaughter
Deuteronomy 12:21 of the Torah states that animals can only be eaten if they are slaughtered in the proper way. For example, animals that died naturally cannot be eaten. The animal must be ritually slaughtered with a single blow to the throat, a process known as shechitah. Numbers 11:22 says that the "flocks and herds" cannot have any diseases or flaws in their organs at the time of slaughter. Consequently, fish are exempt from this specification.
Koshering Process
The consumption of blood is forbidden in the Torah. As a result, after an animal is slaughtered, the carcass must be koshered to extract as much blood as possible. There are two accepted methods of koshering: salting and broiling. In the salting process, the meat is soaked in cool water for a half hour, thoroughly salted for an hour and finally washed to remove all of the applied salt. In the broiling process, the meat is washed thoroughly to remove all blood from the surface, slightly salted on each side, broiled on a designated perforated grate and rinsed off.
Tags: animals that, from kosher, dairy meat, Deuteronomy Torah, from kosher animal