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Sunday 24 January 2016

Kosher Meals And The Jewish Law

By Dorothy Taylor


People love to eat. It is a favorite past time for many. However, everyone has a preference for the type of meal that they would enjoy. Whether it be based upon diet, individual tastes, or even religious customs. Kosher meals are prepared in accordance with Jewish customs.

Kosher meals must meet Jewish dietary laws. It is known as kashrut. It is a Hebrew word that means "proper." Jewish dietary laws can be found listed in the Torah. A national Jewish population survey conducted in 2010 shows that 21% of all Jewish Americans say that they keep kosher in their homes.

Jewish law is very strict when it talks about food that are permissible to eat, and others that are not. For instance, pork is not allowed. The pig is an animal that should never be consumed. Any type of mammal that chew cud or have hooves that are cloven are not acceptable. Although some fish are considered clean, shellfish is not permitted.

When purchasing foods that are considered to be acceptable to the Jewish dietary law, one must be careful. Not all Jewish foods are kosher. Individuals need to look for special symbols on packages, as well as the word pareve. Also as a special note, different certifying agencies do use different symbols, so it is always wise for the individual to do their homework.

Meal preparation consists of carefully separating meat from dairy products. The two should not be eaten together. It is okay to serve dairy products and eggs together. Some restaurants are in such strict observance of these laws, that they exclusively only serve either milk or dairy, or just meat. That way, cross contamination would not occur.

Foods such as eggs, fish, grains, and vegetables can usually be eaten with either meat or dairy foods. Poultry is often included in this diet therefore fried chicken is not considered acceptable because it has a milk-based batter. However fish with a milk batter is considered clean.

Meal preparation is extremely important. Kosher kitchens are usually ones where separate sets of dishes, pots, or utensils are often used when is comes into contact with meat or milk. Separation is also key because these items are not to be washed together. A Jewish home may have two sinks in their home just to prevent cross contamination from occurring. Separate towels and dish racks are also encouraged. This is of utmost importance when preparing a meal.

Consumers need to be careful, especially when purchasing what is considered kosher food. They should look for a certification which usually has a symbol located on the packaging or has the word pareve. However one should be aware that there are different types of symbols that can be used depending upon the certifying agency.

This Hebrew word whose meaning usually means that something is clean, fit or pure, has began to take a different meaning when used in the American English language. Its informal usage means that something is proper or genuine. It has been known to take the place of the phrase, "something is wrong." People now say that something is not kosher, when they think that something is not quite right.




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