| Kosher food is very easy to define. It's food that | | | | animal must be a ruminant (chews its cud) and |
| is permitted tothe Jewish people by Biblical law. | | | | havesplit hooves. Cows, sheep, goats and oxen |
| Here is what causes theconfusion: First, the | | | | are the permitteddomesticated animals. The wild |
| Jewish Bible is more extensive than mostpeople | | | | animals allowedare addax, antelope, buffalo, deer, |
| realize. Second, food is usually considered in terms | | | | gazelle, giraffe and ibex. |
| of itstaste, quality or nutrition, factors not central | | | | That is according to the O-U, Orthodox Union. |
| to kosher status. | | | | 2) Permitted fish may be slaughtered in any way. |
| Therefore to fully understand what is and is not | | | | Animals andbirds must be slaughtered by a |
| kosher you'llneed a list of the factors that make | | | | process called shechita. |
| food kosher. Here is that list: | | | | Shechita, about which much is written, but very |
| 1) In their original living state, what kinds of | | | | little seems to beknown is a mandatory method |
| animals are kosher? | | | | of slaughter. No flesh of an animalor bird is |
| (All vegetation and minerals are permitted). | | | | permitted a Jewish person unless this process is |
| 2) How are kosher animals slaughtered so as to | | | | used. |
| remain kosher? | | | | An animal is forbidden if it dies of disease or |
| 3) What are the forbidden parts? How are they | | | | violence. |
| removed? | | | | Shechita can be performed only on a healthy |
| 4): Which mixtures of food are permitted? Which | | | | animal,not one fatally ill or wounded. |
| are forbidden? | | | | During shechita a trained man uses a perfectly |
| 5) How do you maintain kosher status of all of | | | | sharp, smoothknife. He makes a swift, continuous |
| your food? | | | | incision in the neck. The cutsevers the esophagus |
| What happens if kosher and non-kosher become | | | | and trachea, and the major blood vesselsleading |
| mingled? | | | | to the animals brain. The animal loses |
| This article will answer the first two questions. | | | | consciousnessimmediately and dies. The shechita is |
| Two companion articles address the others. | | | | disqualified if there is anyinterference. If the man |
| 1) Wildlife that may be permitted falls into one of | | | | hesitates, the knife is wavy or nicked,orif death is |
| four categories.a) Insects. Easy - nobody eats | | | | not instantaneous, Jewish law forbids |
| them! The Biblically permittedvarieties of | | | | consumptionof the animals flesh. Animal experts |
| grasshoppers cannot be identified accurately | | | | agree that when shechita isperformed as it should |
| today.b)Fish. The Bible allows us fish which have | | | | be, it is the most humane and immediatemethod |
| both fins and scales. | | | | of slaughter which exists. |
| There are many and identifying them is usually | | | | To state a caveat, this article summarizes the |
| the province ofa rabbi or a kosher fish | | | | first two aspectsof what is kosher. To be sure of |
| store.c)Birds. Chicken, duck, turkey, goose. That's | | | | eating or providing otherswith kosher food, you |
| the whole list. In the Biblethere is a larger list but | | | | need more information and a knowledgeable |
| again, the translation is difficult. | | | | mentor. |
| Jews use tradition when eating fowl.d)Animals. The | | | | |