The information on this page is based on Judaism 101 www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

Kashrut is the Jewish law indicating what foods can and cannot be consumed as well as the way they must be prepared and eaten. Kashrut comes from the Hebrew Kaf-Shin-Resh, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is also known as kosher, and this term is widely used to describe food that meets these standards.

Although the details of kashrut are very extensive, the laws all derive from a few simple rules:

• Certain animals may not be eaten at all, neither their flesh nor their organs, eggs or milk
• The birds and mammals must be killed according to Jewish law
• All blood must be drained from the meat
• Certain parts of animals may not be eaten either
• Meat cannot be eaten with dairy products
• Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with both
• If a fork, a knife, a plate etc comes into contact with a dairy product, and then with meat or non-kosher food, they can no longer be used
• Grape products made by non-Jews cannot be consumed

Very generally, the basic rules are: no mixing of dairy products and meat; no pork or pork product; no shellfish.

In the Mikveh ritually cleansing the utensils for cooking		Preparing a kosher Jewish dish

There is however no such thing as kosher-style food. Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can also be kosher if it is prepared according to Jewish law while traditional Ashkenazi (East -European Jewish) cuisine can be non-kosher if not prepared in agreement with Jewish law. Thus, a ‘kosher-style restaurant’ usually serves traditional Jewish food but it may well not be kosher.

Non-kosher food is commonly referred to as treyf (lit. torn) - from the religious rule not to eat animals that have been killed or wounded. By generalization, it also means any other disallowed food.

Gefillte fish

For more information visit:

• Judaism 101 www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
• OU.org - gateway to the Jewish internet www.ou.org/kosher/primer.html

Teacher’s note: To test your students’ knowledge of Jewish vocabulary try the matching exercise and follow it up with the crossword

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