| Any of a variety of foods that have been prepared, grown, and processed in accordance with Jewish laws. Many people believe that food must be blessed by a Jewish rabbi or priest in order to be considered "kosher" however, this is basically a misconception. It is not uncommon for a rabbi or priest to become involved with reviewing the food being processed to classify it as kosher, but not in the form of a blessing. If the food does not pass the requirements, it is considered to be "treyf" or not kosher.
For food to be considered kosher, it must comply with the laws of Kashrut, the Jewish body of rules that govern the eating, the preparation and the processing of foods. Some of the common requirements include: killing animals and processing foods in accordance with Jewish laws; restrictions from eating grapes grown by non-Jewish grape producers, restrictions from eating specified animals or specified parts of certain animals; removing blood by draining away or broiling food from animals containing blood, such as meats; meats of poultry, wild birds, and mammals cannot be combined and eaten with dairy foods; and utensils used to eat hot kosher foods cannot be used to eat non-kosher foods. Although the rules for maintaining kosher eating habits are seem fairly simple, they are more extensive than the points mentioned above and must be followed in detail to the laws of the Jewish faith in order to be considered eating in a manner that is totally kosher. |
