by Eva Perry

Created on: September 10, 2008   Last Updated: April 01, 2011

Kosher food adheres to the Jewish dietary laws. There are strict standards set by Jewish dietary law that allow certain foods to be named kosher or not. Here are some of the rules that govern which foods can be labeled kosher.

First of all, there are strict rules on which animals may, or may not be eaten. The animals that can be eaten, are by rules and laws governing how the animal was killed, and specify the ritual draining of blood. The Jewish law also specifies exactly which body parts of the animals can't be eaten, an example being, the flesh and organs of some animals. Some animals that are considered kosher by Jewish law, include cows, deer, goats, and sheep.

Obviously, the pig is not on this list, but not for the reason that most people think, that they are dirty. The fact is they do not chew cud, which is strictly adhered to by the Jewish people from the Bible verse in Leviticus, where it says, "These are the animals which you are permitted to eat , anything which has a completely split hoof and chews the cud, this you may eat ."

The book of Leviticus in the Bible goes on to point out the birds or poultry that are not to be eaten. Although the list is numerous, most Jewish people will prefer to eat, turkey, chicken, and duck. All fruits and vegetables are considered kosher by the Jewish dietary laws. Of course, they want fruits and vegetables that are considered insect free, since insects are not considered to be kosher.

When it comes to dairy products, there are a couple rules the Jewish people follow for kosher acceptability. The first rule is that the dairy products can't contain any meat products, since their law states meat and dairy has to be separate. The only exception is fish can be combined with dairy, and dairy with eggs, as well. The second rule is the milk can only come from kosher animals. The cheeses that are kosher include soft cheeses and only kosher hard cheeses. All other hard cheese is not named kosher.

The seafood that is considered kosher by Jewish dietary laws is only those with fins and scales. That leaves out all shellfish from the kosher category.Some of the beverages that are considered kosher include only grape juice or wine that is processed under Jewish supervision.

An interesting fact among kosher households is that they usually have two sets of dishes, to keep one set for meat and one set for dairy, since kosher law prohibits the intermingling of the two. When buying kosher foods, many kosher families look for the labels containing a hechsher, which is a symbol that a trained rabbi has marked the food as kosher. Another symbol frequently used is the letter, k, inside of a circle.

Finally, a person can find kosher food available, at many stores that feature specialty selections, as long as they follow the Jewish dietary laws; and then they can be assured they are eating kosher food.

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