If you thought that Yom Kippur was a tasty kind of
smoked fish and that being Gentile meant not being rough with something
then read on to find out about kosher food
Do you know how to tell if what you are buying is
kosher food?
Kosher food is food which has been prepared in accordance with
the Torah and the Jewish faith and traditions. Kosher food must never be
mixed with non-kosher food as it will instantly lose its status of being
'kosher'. Even the pots and pans used for the preparation of kosher
meals can only be used for cooking or preparing kosher foods.
Food which complies with the Torah is given Kosher certification
which means it may be eaten by Jews seeking to live in accordance with
their Jewish tradition. Here are some examples of what buying kosher
food entails:
Kosher Fish
When buying kosher fish you should buy it whole with the scales and fins
still present and visible. If you want to buy it grounded or filleted,
buy it from a store that only deals with kosher fish. This ensures that
the utensils and knives used were for kosher fish only. Some kosher fish
include haddock, cod and herring. Non-kosher fish include eel,
swordfish, shellfish and lobster.
Kosher Meat
This must come from a butcher who is fully-familiar with its
preparation. Kosher meat must firstly have been salted and secondly
should not have been allowed to mix with non-kosher meat. An animal to
be slaughtered should be free of imperfections in the lungs and the time
of slaughter must be carefully recorded since the meat must been
consumed within 72 hours. If you buy kosher meat from a store, make sure
it is labelled as kosher. Most packaged kosher meat is strictly
supervised to ensure it does not violate any Jewish law.
Kosher Milk
Buying kosher milk does not present too many problems in America because
U.S. laws demand that milk sold should only come from cows. Therefore,
buying milk from a Gentile farm does not need rabbinic supervision.
However, some Jews still insist on buying milk from Jewish-owned farms.
Kosher Eggs
For eggs to be kosher, they must come from a kosher fowl. Kosher fowl
include chicken, geese, ducks, turkey and hens. If any blood is found in
an egg, it is non-kosher and should not be eaten. Eggs must be broken in
a separate dish before cooking to ensure they have no blood spots.
Kosher Wine
Kosher wine buying regulations are followed more rigorously by some Jews
than others. The strict Jew will not touch any wine that is produced or
even handled by a non-Jew as that may make it non-kosher. However, some
authorities allow the use of wine handled by non-Jews so long as the
wine is pasteurized. Kosher wines produced under rabbinic supervision
have double seals. Some people prefer to buy their food in stores that
deal exclusively with kosher food. One can also buy kosher food from
regular supermarkets.
When buying kosher, check the additives and preservatives used. For
instance, olive oil is preserved with lactic acid. Using this oil in a
salad for a meat meal is prohibited because dairy products and meat
should not mix. One must look for certification in cake mixes, baked
goods, ice creams and all prepared foods among others. Processed food
especially needs rabbinic supervision for it to be considered kosher.
Some products like gelatine and shortening may be derived from
non-kosher ingredients and their preparation would need to have been
checked or supervised.
For nearly every non-kosher food, there is a kosher food but it is
only so if the laws and rules laid down in the Torah have been followed
when producing, handling, buying, preparing and cooking kosher food.
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