Almost everyone knows about the existence of the concept of "kosher food". What is this term? What does it mean? The concept of kosher products came to us from Israel. It is there that there is a strict set of certain laws and rules for believing Jews - halakha. This list of norms covers the foundations of both family and religious, as well as public life. The concept of “kashrut” is present in the halacha. It means the suitability and permissibility of something for the life of believers.
Jews strictly adhere to the laws of kashrut when choosing products for cooking. variety of dishes. They dictate religious rules and ways of storing food. In other words, the control over the quality of kosher food is quite strict. It is carried out by one hundred and seventy organizations in Israel, each of which has its own seal. In the event that the food meets the requirements of kosher, everyone who wants to try it will know about it. The product will be marked with one of these seals.
What does it include? Foods that must be consumed according to the laws of the halakha include:
- "basar" ( meat products);
- "freebie" (dairy products);
- "parve" (neutral products).
What does basar kosher food mean? This is animal meat. Moreover, only ruminant herbivores with cloven hooves, whose habitat is land, are suitable for the term "basar". Thus, cows and sheep, gazelles and goats, giraffes and elks can be attributed to kosher animals. Pigs, rabbits and camels are not included in this list. In order to become kosher, the meat must not have blood. Religious laws are very strict in this regard. It is believed that eating food with blood (even if it is contained in an egg in the form of a clot) awakens cruelty in a person.
From poultry, only turkeys and ducks, chickens and geese, as well as pigeons, were included in the list of kosher. Eggs permitted by religious laws to be eaten must have one pointed and the other rounded end. Fish considered kosher has two characteristics. She must have fins and scales. Eating insects, worms and snakes is halakha prohibited.
Dairy products that fit the concept of kosher food, what is it? The list of "freebies" includes only those foods that are considered clean. In other words, dairy products should only come from kosher animals.
Neutral products suitable for the term kosher food, what is it? "Parve" is non-wormy fruits and vegetables. In addition, neutral foods are allowed to be eaten by religious laws only when they have not been in contact with non-kosher food. For example, it is forbidden to feast on a tomato lubricated with pork fat.
Kosher products are quite common in the Israeli market. However, this trend in last years began to change steadily. Kosher food has already appeared in Moscow. And the point here is not the increase in the number of Jews living in the capital. It's just that more and more people attach importance to proper and healthy nutrition.
Dishes prepared from products corresponding to kashrut are offered by a dozen restaurants in Moscow. Moreover, the number of such establishments is steadily growing every year. In Izmailovo, you can taste food cooked in compliance with Jewish religious canons at the Eshel restaurant. On Tsvetnoy Boulevard, you can visit the Tel Aviv restaurant, and on Sadovo-Triumfalnaya, the Shokoladnitsa coffee house will offer a wide selection of kosher dairy products.
10/07/2014 17:31
In total, there are 365 prohibitions that affect all aspects of Jewish life, and more than half of these prohibitions relate to food. Kashrut, in Yiddish kosher, is a code of laws that governs the diet of the Jewish people. Kosher is translated as "suitable", "suitable".
Julia Shapko
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Basic principles of kosher nutrition
Kosher food is made from kosher products, in a strictly defined way and only by Jews. The definition of "kosher" food is described in the Torah. All products that do not meet the concept of "kosher" are prohibited and harmful to human bodily health.
Another important aspect mentioned in Kashrut is hygiene. Products must not contain harmful substances , animals must be healthy, dairy and meat products must not only be stored separately, but also separately eaten.
corresponding to the description of the Torah:
- Meat- beef, lamb, goat meat, venison, elk meat, etc. You can eat the meat of those animals that are artiodactyl and ruminant. Rodent (hares, rabbits, etc.) are not kosher. Animals must be slaughtered in a special way. It is carried out only by a shoihet (carver) - a specially trained person. To remove all the blood from the meat, it is soaked in water and sprinkled with salt, which absorbs the last drops of blood.
- Bird- chickens, ducks, geese, quails, pigeons and turkey meat.
It is forbidden to eat the meat of birds of prey and scavengers.
- Eggs only kosher birds are considered kosher. If both ends of the egg are the same shape (both pointed or round) they are not kosher.
- A fish- only the one that contains scales and fins. Red caviar is considered kosher, but black caviar is not included in this list. Eel, catfish, shark, sturgeon are not considered kosher - just like shellfish and crustaceans.
- Milk- only from kosher animals. Another important aspect: according to the Torah, different utensils are used for cooking meat and dairy products (even a different stove), meat and dairy products are stored separately (in different refrigerators) and you can consume milk after meat only through 6 o'clock.
- Insects. Only four species of Desert Locust are allowed to be eaten. Other insects are prohibited. Only honey, a waste product of bees, is an exception and is considered kosher. It is because of the ban on all types of insects that housewives very carefully check cereals, herbs and vegetables.
- In a relationship alcohol Torah prescriptions are very strict: wine is made only by Jews, grapes are harvested at a certain time in vineyards at least 4 years old, outsiders should not see the manufacturing process - only such wine is considered kosher.
Remember kosher food is not a newfangled diet or trend in cooking. True kosher nutrition is the complete observance of religious canons not only in food, but also in the spiritual world.
Is kosher food healthy?
Now in stores began to appear products with a distinctive sign of kosher.
It cannot be said with certainty that a kosher diet is completely balanced and healthy. But the fact that kosher products are healthier and safer is an undeniable fact.
These products do not contain dyes, stabilizers, synthetic additives, GMOs, medicines, processed and packaged in a sterile environment, and these are the main indicators of quality and usefulness for the human body.
That is why today representatives of other religious denominations began to often choose kosher products.
The word "kosher" has recently become quite popular among Internet users. However, not everyone understands what this word means, and they use it more following fashion trends than logical sense. Moreover, not only the adjective "kosher" came into use, but also the adverb "kosher" and even the noun "kosher".
Let's see what this word means - kosher?
Origin and meaning of the word
The word "kosher" came to us from the language of the Jewish people (you can learn about it in the article). In Judaism, which is practiced by Jews, there is the term "kashrut", which means a set of certain rules and the permissibility of something from the point of view of Jewish scripture. In some dialects, the word "kashrut" sounds a little different, for example, "kosher". To what does this term apply?
Use of the word
Originally, the word referred to the food of the Jews. Kosher means that it is permissible to eat. For example, according to kashrut, beef or poultry is kosher, but pork is not. Another sign of kosher meat is that only a special person by profession can kill an animal, but if this is not the case, then the meat is no longer kosher.
If you look deeper, then in addition to food, this term can be applied to clothes, appearance, demeanor and so on. It is this meaning that has gained wide popularity in the modern world. Kosher in Internet slang means it is allowed, it complies with the rules. Also, the word kosher in youth slang has become synonymous with fashionable, good (Example: he has a kosher car).
Many nations have traditions and prohibitions associated with limiting the consumption of certain foods. In Russian cuisine, there are no prohibitions as such: we simply don’t eat what we are not used to, or what seems unacceptable to us, and therefore there is no need for official prohibitions.
But everyone in Russia has probably heard about the prohibitions that exist for Muslims and Jews. It is most often mentioned that Muslims should not eat pork, but with Jewish cuisine everything is more complicated: there are more prohibitions in it, and many of them may seem strange and incomprehensible to us.
Food that is allowed to be eaten is called kosher in Israel, and Jews living in other countries and strictly observing the “faith of the fathers” include only kosher foods in their diet. The origin of the word "kosher" goes back to the concept of "kashrut", which in Judaism denotes compliance with Halakha - traditional Jewish law based on many religious commandments. That's so hard; however, the requirements imposed by Jewish law on products are quite close to the concepts of healthy and separate meals. For example, it is strictly forbidden for Jews to mix meat and dairy products, and rightly so, since they are completely incompatible with each other.
Perhaps for this reason, not only Jews are interested in kosher products in Russia, and many people want to know more about this.
Kosher - not kosher
Kosher meat products are derived from the meat of land-dwelling herbivores. These are ruminant ungulates, but their hooves are cloven: sheep, goats and cattle; it is also allowed to eat the meat of elk and giraffes. Pork, rabbit meat and camel meat are prohibited. It is forbidden to consume blood in any form, so the meat of kosher animals is always soaked and washed in special ways. Animals must also be slaughtered according to the rules: this is done by kosher butchers who have undergone special training.
The following kosher dish combines two Jewish prescription. To bake delicious chicken in a charoset, you must first cook the charoset itself - a truly Jewish dish, made from fruits, nuts, pomegranate juice (wine) and spices. Gotta take 1-2
Religion is a special provisions and traditions that are observed in the rules of nutrition. The concept of kosher food is borrowed from Judaism and is often found among Jews. However, more and more often in recent years, such food can be found in the culinary of many countries.
What does the term kosher food mean?
Kosher food is food prepared according to the canons of kashrut included in the legal records of the Halakha.
According to these rules, all dishes are prepared in accordance with traditional customs, and special organizations of Jews control the entire process. A special seal confirming the quality is put on the tested products.
All kosher products are divided into three main groups:
- Basar are meat products;
- Freebies are dairy products;
- Parve is all other products.
The very concept of kosher means food that is healthy for the whole body and is completely suitable for use in food.
Benefit or harm?
People who first turned their attention to kosher dishes are wondering if such food is healthy? Of course, it has a positive effect on health. This is due to the absence of preservatives, dyes and GMOs, and their packaging is completely sterile.
As for harm, this is a rather controversial issue. Only in one study, specialists from America managed to prove that poultry meat, cooked in the usual way, has less harmful substances than in meat prepared by the kosher method.
How to cook kosher food
According to the rules of kashrut, meat and milk cannot be combined in one meal. The time gap between taking these products should be 5 hours. Also, special rules apply to the method of killing an animal - this should be done by a person trained for this. After slaughter and butchering, the meat is soaked so that all the blood is pumped out of it. Only after this procedure, the meat is given to the cook for further processing.
It is strictly forbidden to use meat from sick animals for cooking. Meat and dairy products are prepared using different utensils and in different cuisines. That is why it is common for Jewish homes to have two kitchens. If the area does not allow organizing two kitchens, then on one they put two stoves for cooking meat and dairy products on them.
List of kosher products
In order for food to be kosher, you need to use only products listed in the list of permitted food for its preparation:
- Meat. for cooking meat dishes you can use the carcasses of animals with cloven hooves and eating herbal products. These include moose, cows, sheep, goats, giraffes. There are exceptions, for example, the meat of pigs is allowed for non-herbivores, and the meat of camels, rabbits and hyraxes that do not have cloven hooves. When cooking, be sure to completely free the meat from the blood. According to the Jews, the use of blood in food makes a person cruel and aggressive. Eggs are also completely banned if they contain blood blotches.
- Bird. From poultry, you can use the meat of only domestic animals - chickens, ducks and geese. Of wild birds, only pigeon meat is allowed. The meat of eagles, hawks, pelicans and owls is completely banned.
- Eggs. For the selection of eggs, there is a special rule - this is their shape. The egg should be sharp on one side and round on the other side. If both edges are blunt, then they cannot be used for food. This may mean that the eggs come from scavenging birds.
- A fish. For cooking, you can use only fish with scales, tail and fins. It is strictly forbidden to use any seafood for food, since they have neither scales nor fins. In the list of kosher things, shrimp, octopus, sea worms, etc. are completely banned.
- Milk. For the preparation of dishes using milk, only raw materials taken from animals permitted by law are allowed. All other milk is under the strictest ban.
- Fruits and vegetables. There are no restrictions in this category of products. The only condition is only the absence of contact with non-kosher things. Also, you can not eat wormy fruits.
Doctors' opinion
According to doctors of various specialties, food prepared according to kosher canons is only important for observing religious rules. As far as health is concerned, kosher food does not have much effect on a person's health.
Previously, adherents of the kosher type of food experienced certain difficulties during travel. Currently, even many air carriers offer kosher cuisine to their passengers during the flight. Therefore, the observance of all religious canons, including nutrition, becomes problem-free, even when traveling away from home.
Kosher Recipes
In almost any large city, you can find kosher dishes in cafes, but usually their cost is much higher than ordinary dishes. But do not despair. Since various kosher products are already sold in stores in sufficient quantities, it will not be difficult to prepare dishes in compliance with all religious traditions.
Strudel
One of the easiest and quickest kosher dishes to cook is salmon, cheese and spinach strudel. It can be served not only as holiday dish, but also just for gatherings with friends, because the strudel is not only very tasty, but also dietary.
Products for cooking:
- 150 gr. sifted flour;
- Egg;
- 1 st. a spoonful of oil;
- Some water.
From these products you need to knead soft dough. This usually takes no more than 10 minutes. After this, the dough cling film put in the refrigerator for half an hour.
At this time, you can do the filling: 150 gr. grate cheese, cut 0.5 kg of salmon into thin strips, and lightly stew spinach with butter. After that, mix all the ingredients and add the egg there, if desired, you can add salt.
The dough that has rested in the refrigerator must be rolled out very thinly on the table, about 50x70 cm in size. If the dough was kneaded correctly, it will not tear, while it will be thin, translucent to the light.
Sprinkle on a rolled sheet breadcrumbs, and from the edges you need to retreat 2 cm, and on the right side leave about 15 cm of the sheet empty. Then spread the filling in an even layer and roll up the roll. The finished roll is greased with oil and put on a baking sheet in the oven for 40 minutes, while the temperature inside should be 2000 C. After baking, the strudel is cut into thick pieces and served with sour cream or vegetable salad.
Hen
Cooking kosher chicken is not difficult at all. To do this, the kosher carcass is divided into 4 parts, rubbed with a mixture of salt and pepper. While the meat is soaking, prepare the sauce. To do this, mix a little soy sauce with a glass of red wine and add 4 tbsp. charoset spoons. The meat is poured with this mixture and cooked in an oven heated to 2000 for an hour.
At present, the need for kosher food only increases. This is due to many factors - ease of preparation, exclusion of high costs, benefits for the body. Try to cook such a dish at home once, and you will remain an adherent of kosher cuisine for a long time.
