In the modern age, the Jewish term “kosher” has become somewhat of a slang term; it is not terribly uncommon to hear somebody inform another that something is acceptable by saying “it’s kosher.” However, Kosher is obviously much more than that under to teachings of Judaism. It is both a method of food preparation and also a set of dietary laws which many Jewish people hold to steadfastly. Simply put, kosher means food that is holy and fit for consumption by those who follow Judaism.
The Kosher dietary laws are, in general, fairly straightforward and are based around two central tenets. The first is that meat and dairy products must be cooked and eaten separately. This does not just apply to the food itself; all cutlery, plates, cooking utensils and other implements used in the preparation of the dish are considered tainted if meat and dairy products are combined together in it. This fact leads to kosher kitchens having two or sometimes more sets of utensils; one for cooking meat dishes and another for making dairy creations.
The second concept of what makes kosher food is the banning of the meat from certain animals which are deemed to be unclean or just not consecrated. Most people when they think of kosher food, or sometimes even of Judaism in general, think of the fact that kosher law bans the eating of pork and pork products. However, pigs are just one of the many animals that are not considered kosher. Also included are rabbits, horses, dogs, cats, birds of prey, fish that do not have fins and scales that are detachable from the skin, shellfish (including oysters, lobster, clams and shrimp), crustaceans such as crawfish and crabs, and fish that are scavengers and do not have fins and scales. Swordfish and sturgeon are considered by some to be acceptable, while others think they are not. Animals that are not listed above, such as cows, deer, chickens, turkeys and scaled fish with fins are considered to be kosher, so long as they are slaughtered according to the customs laid out in Jewish law.
These two principles make up the basis of Jewish dietary laws, and due to the amount of difference in interpretation of Hebrew texts that is possible, many customs differ from culture to culture and even from community to community. However, there are a few more restrictions and qualifications to kosher food that are fairly prevalent. For instance, all liver has to be broiled to be considered kosher, because consuming blood is not allowed under Jewish law. Furthermore, meat should be made kosher by soaking and salting it with kosher salt, which draws out the blood. Alternatively, meat can be koshered by salting and then broiling it.
All fruits, vegetables and grains are considered kosher, with special laws and exceptions surrounding grape products (due to the usage of wine in Jewish religious observances). These three food groupings, along with fish and eggs, are considered to be “neutral” in that they can be eaten with either milk or meat dishes. Flour and vegetable cooking oils are also considered to be neutral, and can be used to cook either meat or milk dishes, so long as the flour does not have any dairy additives.
