Religion is special provisions and traditions that are observed in nutritional rules. The concept of kosher food is borrowed from Judaism and is often found among Jews. However, recently such food can be increasingly found in the cuisine of many countries.
What does the term kosher food mean?
Kosher food is food prepared according to the canons of kashrut, which is included in the legal records of Halakha.
According to these rules, all dishes are prepared in accordance with traditional customs, and special Jewish organizations control the entire process. Tested products are given a special seal confirming their quality.
All kosher products are divided into three main groups:
- Basar is meat products;
- Freebies are dairy products;
- Parve is all other products.
The very concept of kosher means food that is beneficial for the whole body and is completely suitable for use as food.
Benefit or harm?
People who first turned their attention to kosher dishes wonder: is such food 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. In only one study, experts from America were able to prove that poultry meat cooked in the usual way, has fewer harmful substances than in meat prepared using the kosher method.
How to properly prepare 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. There are also special rules for the method of killing an animal - this must be done by a person trained for this. After slaughter and cutting, the meat is soaked so that all the blood is pumped out of it. Only after this procedure is the meat 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. This is why it is common for Jewish homes to have two kitchens. If the space does not allow organizing two kitchens, then two stoves are placed on one for cooking meat and dairy products.
List of kosher products
In order for food to be kosher, you need to use only the products listed in the list of permitted foods for its preparation:
- Meat. For cooking meat dishes you can use carcasses of animals with cloven hooves and eating herbal products. These include moose, cows, sheep, goats, and giraffes. There are exceptions, for example, from non-herbivores, the meat of pigs is allowed, and from those without cloven hooves, the meat of camels, rabbits and hyraxes. When cooking, be sure to completely remove blood from the meat. According to Jews, eating blood makes a person cruel and aggressive. Eggs are also completely prohibited if they contain blood.
- Bird. From poultry, you can only use meat from domestic animals - chicken, ducks and geese. The only wild birds allowed are pigeon meat. The meat of eagles, hawks, pelicans and owls is completely prohibited.
- Eggs. There is a special rule for selecting eggs - their shape. The egg should be sharp on one side and round on the other. If both edges are blunt, then they cannot be used for food. This may mean that the eggs came from scavenger birds.
- Fish. For cooking, you can only use fish with scales, tail and fins. It is strictly forbidden to eat any seafood, since they have neither scales nor fins. Shrimp, octopus, sea worms, etc. are completely prohibited on the list of kosher items.
- Milk. For the preparation of dishes using milk, it is allowed to use only raw materials taken from animals permitted by law. All other milk is strictly prohibited.
- Fruits and vegetables. There are no restrictions in this product category. The only condition is no contact with non-kosher items. Also, wormy fruits should not be eaten.
Doctors' opinion
According to doctors of various specialties, food prepared according to kosher canons is only important for observing religious rules. In terms of health, kosher food does not have much impact on a person's health.
Previously, adherents of the kosher diet experienced certain difficulties while traveling. Nowadays, even many air carriers offer kosher cuisine to their passengers during flights. Therefore, compliance with all religious canons, including nutrition, becomes problem-free, even while 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 regular dishes. But don't despair. Since various kosher products are already sold in sufficient quantities in stores, preparing dishes in compliance with all religious traditions will not be difficult.
Strudel
One of the easiest and fastest kosher dishes to prepare is salmon, cheese and spinach strudel. It can be served not only as holiday dish, but also just for gatherings with friends, since strudel is not only very tasty, but also dietary.
Products for cooking:
- 150 gr. sifted flour;
- Egg;
- 1 tbsp. spoon of butter;
- Some water.
These products need to be kneaded soft dough. This usually takes no more than 10 minutes. After this the dough is cling film put in the refrigerator for half an hour.
At this time you can start filling: 150 gr. grate the cheese, cut 0.5 kg of salmon into thin strips, and lightly sauté the spinach with butter. After this, mix all the ingredients and add the egg, you can add salt if desired.
The dough that has rested in the refrigerator should be rolled out very thinly on the table, approximately 50x70 cm in size. If the dough was kneaded correctly, it will not tear, but will be thin and translucent to the light.
Sprinkle on the rolled out sheet breadcrumbs, and you need to retreat 2 cm from the edges, and leave about 15 cm of the sheet empty on the right side. Then spread the filling in an even layer and roll it up. The finished roll is greased with butter and placed 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.
Chicken
Cooking kosher chicken is not at all difficult. To do this, the kosher carcass is divided into 4 parts and 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. spoons of charoset. This mixture is poured over the meat and cooked in an oven preheated to 2000 for an hour.
Currently, the need for kosher food is only increasing. This is explained by many factors - ease of preparation, avoidance of high costs, benefits for the body. Try to cook this dish at home once, and you will remain a devotee of kosher cuisine for a long time.
Each of us has heard about kosher products, but hardly delved into what applies to them and why. The term itself comes from Israel, where Jewish believers live exclusively according to established rules and laws. This totality is called Halacha and has the right to determine their religious, social and even family life. Things that are approved by Halakha are called kashrut.
Believing Jews even eat according to the laws, which establish a list of permitted foods. Therefore, real kosher food is prepared without any violations and using certain technologies.
The production process is under strict control of 170 Jewish organizations, including rabbinates. Each kosher product is marked with the seals of these organizations.
What does kosher food mean for Jews?
All kosher products can be divided into:
- meat (basar);
- dairy (freebies);
- neutral (parve).
Meat products
Meat products among Jews are called “bassar” and, naturally, this meat is obtained only from kosher animals. They are herbivores with cloven hooves that live on land. Therefore, the category of “kosher” includes cows, sheep, goats, moose, and gazelles. The Torah states that pigs, rabbits, camels and hyraxes are not considered kosher.
Meat that may be on the list of kosher products must not have blood. Kashrut prohibits the consumption of blood, as it believes that the blood of others will awaken cruelty in a person. Even eggs, which may contain blood clots, are prohibited.
Kosher does not say anything regarding poultry meat, but at the same time, the Torah indicates those birds whose meat cannot be eaten. These birds were: owls, eagles, falcons, hawks and pelicans. Only meat is included in the list of kosher products. poultry, namely pigeons, ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys.
There are a number of rules for kosher eggs. According to Kashurta, you can only eat eggs with unequal ends, i.e. one should be sharp and the other rounded. If an egg has both blunt or sharp ends, then it is no longer suitable for eating. But it is almost impossible to get such eggs from poultry, because they are carried by wild birds of prey that feed exclusively on carrion. Therefore, it becomes clear why the meat of these birds is prohibited.
Kosher fish meat also has a number of features. It must come from a fish that has scales and fins. Seafood is not kosher, so Jews do not eat crabs, crayfish, shrimp, oysters and octopus. Insects, snakes and all types of worms are also considered non-kosher.
Dairy
Dairy products are called freebies and can only be eaten if they come from kosher animals. Milk and other products obtained from it from non-kosher animals are forbidden and unclean, therefore Jewish believers are prohibited from eating it.
Neutral products
Neutral kosher foods include fruits and vegetables. Jews call them "parve". They become kosher only if they are not worm-free and under no circumstances have they come into contact with non-kosher products. For example, if vegetables are served with pork meat, that is, Jews are no longer allowed to have them.
You can buy kosher products in Israeli markets. There are not many places with kosher food in our country. But, nevertheless, the population is already more concerned about their healthy eating and even though they are not Jewish, they prefer to eat kosher food, which by definition is clean.
Thus, all kosher food products are a guarantee of high quality. Now in the list of kosher products you can even find baby food, alcohol and dry instant foods.
But when going to specialized stores with kosher food, it is worth paying attention that the inscription “kosher” must be confirmed by a specific seal of one of the rabbinates that controls production. Otherwise, do not let scammers make money by selling ordinary food under the word “kosher”, because, without being Jews, it is very difficult to distinguish real kosher products from those sold under this name.
Many people have heard the term “kosher” at least once in their lives. Most associate it exclusively with Jewish cuisine.
In fact, the meaning of the word “kosher” is much broader. What does this concept mean in Israel and how does it relate to food and drink?
Kosher means natural
The word “kosher” comes from the concept of “kashrut” - laws and regulations concerning the life of Jews. A set of these principles is described in the Torah, the main Jewish collection of religious texts. Of the more than 600 commandments, over 50 relate to food and define what a kosher food product is.
The requirements apply mainly to the cultivation of crops, slaughter of livestock and pre-treatment raw materials, product composition. The content of any foreign impurities and unnatural additives is almost always excluded. In other words, kosher means that it corresponds to accepted canons, natural. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to be afraid of kosher food.
The concept of “kosher” in the world has become synonymous with naturalness and health benefits. Thus, kosher cosmetics can never contain parabens or other artificial ingredients.
Animals, plants and even insects can be kosher.Meat and fish
So, what is kosher food for Jews? The Torah allows eating mammals that simultaneously correspond to two characteristics - ruminants and artiodactyls (goats, sheep, cows, deer, roe deer). This means that horse meat, hare meat, and camel meat are immediately prohibited.
As for birds, the book provides a list of 24 non-kosher species. Basically, these are those winged animals that we would hardly eat every day anyway: crows, owls, cuckoos. Jews traditionally cook chicken, duck, goose and turkey.
The answer to the question of what a kosher food product means has one more important condition. The meat should not contain blood. Therefore, the slaughter is carried out by a specially trained rabbi (shoikhet). Among other things, he must know how not to cause pain to the animal - this is one of the strictest regulations.
The fish must also have two differences: scales and fins. Jews consider catfish, sturgeon, eel and seafood (crayfish, shrimp) unsuitable for consumption. Caviar is considered kosher if it comes from legal fish.
The Jews' list of forbidden foods includes tigers and other predatory animals, as well as reptiles, worms and insects, with the exception of some types of locusts. Interestingly, honey is also included in the list of kosher products, although bees are not considered kosher.
Vegetables, fruits and other plants
Plant foods should not be poisonous (tops of potatoes, tomatoes, raw pits of plums, peaches, apple seeds) and contain insects. Compliance with the latter requirement is achieved by special testing of vegetables.
Basically, all vegetable, fruit and grain crops are considered kosher by Jews. There are several instructions for processing and cultivating the soil and planting plants, but they are not of fundamental importance for tourists.
Dairy and flour products
Since grain crops and flour made from them are recognized as kosher, the main requirement relates to the composition finished products nutrition. Jews consider the use of animal fats, flavorings and aromatic additives unacceptable.
An additional standard is established for the baking of “Jewish bread” (pat-israel), which involves the use of certain grains and the obligatory participation of a Jew, for example, in lighting the fire. But this prescription most often affects the household.
With dairy products everything is also quite simple. Everything produced by kosher animals is considered permissible. This means that Jews have no categorical prohibitions on milk and eggs. The main thing is that the composition does not contain non-kosher additives - these could be, for example, some thickeners or flavorings. Mixing meat and dairy products is strictly prohibited.
Beverages
– on the list of the most stringent restrictions. All wines produced outside of Israel are considered non-kosher. Only Jews should participate in the process of their production. Special requirements apply to the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. For example, you cannot take a fourth harvest for production. In addition, many pasteurize - in this case, even if a non-Jew opens the bottle, it will not lose its kosher status.
Also on the list of prohibited drinks is alcohol that has been aged in wine barrels, such as cognac or whiskey, or contains non-kosher additives. Most types of beer, rum, vodka, tequila, gin do not cause any complaints.
All coffee, tea and most juices, unless they contain dairy or wine ingredients, are kosher drinks.
Kosher products can be identified by the sign
In order not to make a mistake in your choice and not to memorize the list of what is permitted, when purchasing you need to look for kosher signs on products - “echsher”. Only Jewish organizations that control the quality of goods have the right to appropriate them. There are at least 100 variations of such signs in the world.
The word most often found on food labels is “kosher.” In European and American versions - the letters “K”, “U” or the combination “KS”.
What about Catering, then there are practically no non-kosher restaurants in Israel. Even hamburgers at McDonald's are subject to certification.Kosher and Halal are different products
There is an opinion that kosher and halal mean the same thing. In a broad sense this is true. Both terms relate to food and are governed by basic religious law - the Jewish Torah and the Muslim Koran. But if you look deeper, there are differences. What is the difference between kosher food and halal food?
In both Judaism and Islam, the slaughter of an animal is a whole ritual that is performed by a specific person. Prohibitions regarding food products are also similar, for example regarding animal blood.
Also, in Muslim countries they do not eat pork (you can cook the meat of any herbivore with a “cloven hoof”). The meat of land-dwelling carnivores, as well as birds of prey, is prohibited, while fish and seafood can be present on the table without restrictions. Finally, Muslims do not drink alcohol.
Like kosher, halal cosmetics can only contain natural oils, minerals and extracts. The use of animal fats, additives harmful to health, alcohol, and glycerin in production is strictly prohibited.Orthodoxy does not exclude kosher products
Many people wonder whether Orthodox Christians can eat kosher food? If we turn to the canons of the Christian religion, there are no food prohibitions in Orthodoxy. Restrictions are set for special periods of humility and spiritual renewal. The Rozhdestven, Great, Petrov, Assumption fasts, as well as all Wednesdays and Fridays, are a time of complete abstinence from meat and dairy products. This means that nothing prohibits an Orthodox tourist from trying kosher products in Israel.
Religion is not only the observance of certain traditions, but also dietary rules. Kosher food is a term taken from Judaism and is commonly consumed by Jews, but has recently begun to appear in stores in many countries.
What does kosher food mean?
Kosher food is food prepared according to the laws of kashrut, which, in turn, is included in the list of rules of Halacha.
According to this code, dishes must be prepared in accordance with certain customs, and control over their preparation is carried out by Jewish organizations, which put their seal on the packaging.
What is kosher food
In general, kosher foods are divided into three groups:
- "basar" - meat products;
- “parve” - neutral;
- “freebie” - dairy.
The very concept of “kosher” means that such food is healthy and suitable for consumption, which is why foods consumed by Jews can now very often be found on store shelves.
Kosher food: benefit or harm
Is kosher food healthy? Of course, it only has a positive effect on health, because it does not contain dyes, preservatives, stabilizers, GMOs or various drugs, and the packaging in which the products are stored is absolutely sterile.
As for the harm from Jewish kosher food, it was once stated by experts from the USA who compared such food with regular food. They were able to find that conventionally cooked poultry contained less harmful bacteria than kosher-cooked poultry.
Kosher food: how to prepare meals
According to kashrut, you cannot mix milk and meat in one meal: the time interval between their consumption must be at least five hours. In addition, separate requirements are imposed on the method of slaughtering animals: only a specially trained person should do this, and before the meat products fall into the hands of the cook, the blood is pumped out of it by soaking.
It is strictly forbidden to consume meat from sick animals, and dairy and meat foods are prepared not only in different dishes, but also in different rooms. This is why Jewish families have two kitchens, but if this is not possible, you can cook on two stoves.
What food is considered kosher^
Kosher food: food list
To eat kosher, you need to know what foods are customary to eat in accordance with kashrut:
- Meat: This includes beef, goat meat, as well as moose, giraffe, gazelle and sheep - i.e. animals that have cloven hooves and eat plant foods. Of those who do not have cloven hooves, hyraxes, camels and rabbits are allowed, and of non-herbivores, pork is allowed. The most important thing about such products is the absence of blood: according to Jews, those who ingest it can become aggressive and cruel. Eggs containing blood clots are also prohibited;
- Bird: Owl, eagle, pelicans and hawks are prohibited because You can only eat homemade food: geese, ducks, chickens. The only exceptions are pigeons;
- Eggs: they must have a special shape - be sharp at one end and rounded at the other. If both their ends are blunted, they cannot be eaten, because... it is likely that they belong to carrion-eating birds of prey;
- Fish: It must have fins and scales. All seafood (octopus, shrimp, worms, etc.) is completely prohibited, because... they have neither one nor the other;
- Milk only that which was obtained from kosher animals is allowed, otherwise it cannot be consumed;
- Vegetables and fruits: There are no restrictions here, unless they are wormy or have come into contact with non-kosher products.
Kosher food: what to eat is kosher, halal and delicious
Non-kosher food: what is not kosher to eat
Kosher food: recipes
Recipe for herring mincemeat:
- Divide the herring into fillets, soak it in milk for 40 minutes, then take it out and chop it;
- Peel and remove seeds from the apple, grate it;
- Boil eggs, three on a grater;
- Finely chop the onion, grind the boiled potatoes in their jackets;
- Mix everything, chop with a knife until it reaches a creamy consistency;
- Add the melted mixture to the mixture butter, pepper;
- Serve chilled.
Shakshuka recipe:
- Cut a couple of sweet peppers into cubes, peel the tomatoes;
- Fry in olive oil chopped in a frying pan onion, then add pepper and fry for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally;
- Crush the garlic in a garlic press, mix with cumin, turmeric and chopped small pieces hot pepper, place everything in the pan for one minute;
- Add tomatoes there, fry for 3 minutes;
- Use a spoon to make a small hole in the vegetables and crack the eggs into it;
- Salt and pepper, cook until the protein is cooked;
- Before serving, sprinkle with herbs.
Charlotte recipe:
- Peel the apples and cut them into cubes;
- Beat the raw whites with a mixer, pouring sugar in small portions at the same time;
- Add the yolks, melted margarine and vanillin, add flour, salt and baking powder;
- Grease the mold with oil, pour a layer of dough into it, place apples on top and add the remaining mixture;
- Place on the surface apple slices, grease with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon;
- Bake for half an hour in the oven at 200 degrees.
Is kosher cuisine healthy: doctors' opinion ^
According to doctors, dishes prepared kosher are of great importance only from a religious point of view, but in medicine in general such products are not treated so categorically, arguing that the method of preparation and the ingredients themselves can affect health.
In the past, Jews faced many culinary challenges when traveling and flying, but now kosher food on airplanes is not uncommon, and some airlines provide it, so it is possible to comply with religious traditions and rules, even when you are far from home and unable to cook your own food.
Eastern horoscope for March 2019
Almost everyone who is planning to travel to Israel, or those who have already visited this country, have heard that food in Israel is kosher. Some believe that this is a special, dietary or separate meals. In fact, kosher food is food prepared according to the rules of kashrut.
Kashrut- a term in Judaism meaning the permissibility or suitability of something from the point of view of Halakha (the set of laws contained in the Torah and Talmud). In Judaism, the term kashrut is used not only in relation to nutrition, but is also used in other aspects of traditional life - from legal to everyday life.
Since ancient times, Jewish laws have strictly controlled every aspect of human life, this applies to food and methods of their preparation. The laws of kashrut state that Jews are forbidden to eat anything, and even permitted food must be prepared according to the rules.
What are these rules?
Animals:
Kosher animals have two characteristics: they must have cloven hooves and chew the cud. These are herbivores such as cows, sheep and goats. Many wild herbivores: moose, deer, gazelles, mountain goats, etc. also kosher. The Torah lists four types of animals that have only one of two signs of kosher: pig, camel, hyrax and hare - these animals are prohibited for food. An animal that is sick or killed during a hunt is not suitable for food. Fat near the stomach and intestines is forbidden, as is the thigh from which the sciatic nerve has not been removed (in memory of the forefather Jacob, whom an angel wounded in the thigh).
The laws of kashrut also apply to the process of slaughtering an animal. For meat to be fully kosher, it must meet certain requirements. A shochet (skilled carver) typically studies for many years to gain a general knowledge of Jewish law. Then he undergoes a special course for carvers, lasting about a year and ending with an exam. Only after this does he receive the right to slaughter the animal. The laws on shechita (animal slaughter) and testing an animal carcass for kosher are very numerous and complex, so only a person who has thoroughly studied them and received the appropriate diploma has the right to engage in this craft.
Bird:
The Torah does not define any signs for kosher birds, therefore only poultry, the kosher of which is confirmed by tradition, is eaten. These are chickens, turkeys, quails, ducks, geese and pigeons.
Eggs also have a sign of kosher: they must be from kosher birds, have different ends (one sharper, the other more rounded). Since blood is strictly prohibited for consumption, eggs that contain a blood clot in the yolk are unsuitable, but such eggs are not necessarily thrown away, but are simply freed of blood and eaten.
Fish:
Kosher fish have two characteristics: they have scales and fins. Only those fish species that have both of these characteristics at the same time are allowed.
All crustaceans (crabs, crayfish, lobsters, shrimp) and shellfish (octopus, oysters, squid) are non-kosher and prohibited for consumption.
Insects and amphibians:
Kashrut strictly prohibits eating insects (except locusts), amphibians and reptiles. This restriction requires careful selection and processing of herbs, vegetables, fruits, as well as flour and cereals.
The only exception to this rule is honey, a non-kosher insect product, which is allowed to be eaten because it (according to kashrut) is flower juice processed by a bee, and is therefore considered a product of plant origin, and not a waste product of the bee.
Beverages:
Basically, kosher beverages are associated with the consumption of wine. Since all the agricultural laws of the Torah are associated exclusively with the Land of Israel and do not apply in other countries, wine grown only in Israel, exclusively by religious Jews who observed all the rules of kashrut, is kosher.
Separately meat and dairy: this rule is one of the well-known rules of kashrut. It is prohibited to mix dairy and meat products: cook or eat them together. Because of this, a kosher kitchen must have separate utensils and, preferably, separate kitchen equipment for preparing meat and dairy.
In addition, the laws of kashrut establish the need for a time interval between eating meat and eating dairy.
Kosher food is associated not only with the food itself, but also with the utensils. All new utensils are kosher. Utensils can become non-kosher if non-kosher food was prepared or stored in them; such utensils can be made kosher by boiling them or calcining them over a fire. But this applies only to metal and glass dishes: dishes made of porcelain, wood or clay cannot be kosherized.
What explains such a set of rules for preparing and eating food? At the moment, there are several explanations for the commandment of kashrut:
Will of the Almighty: The fulfillment of the laws of kashrut is carried out solely as a sign of submission to the will of God.
Health (usefulness kosher food): observing the rules of kashrut is a sign of trust in God, who created the world, who gave humanity the Law in accordance with which to live. He knows better than anyone what is good and beneficial for a person’s spiritual well-being and physical health. Kosher food is traditionally considered healthier and safer than regular food, since the entire production process is strictly controlled and all technical and hygienic requirements are met.
Mercy (moral values): Cruelty to animals is expressly prohibited by the Torah. Hunting and killing animals for entertainment is prohibited. According to scientific research, “shechita” (slaughter of livestock according to the Torah) is one of the most humane methods of killing an animal. According to kashrut laws, any injured animal is no longer kosher. Therefore, the slaughterer kills animals in one motion to reduce pain to a minimum, while the animal loses consciousness in a split second.
Striving for Holiness: wherever kashrut is discussed, the Torah speaks of holiness. According to this view, the purpose of kashrut laws is to instill qualities such as self-discipline and self-restraint. By controlling his diet, a person learns to control his desires and passions and, thereby, grows spiritually.
Maintaining Unity: Kosher brings Jews together, no matter where they are. When a kosher-keeping Jew travels to another city or country, he will look for a synagogue, a rabbi and a community where he can get kosher food. Thus, a Jew who observes the laws of kashrut will never find himself alone in any city in the world where Jews live.
Because the kosher quality of foods cannot be objectively verified, some Jewish communities rely on the judgment of a rabbi, a recognized authority in the community, to determine kosher.
