The word “kosher,” from the Hebrew root כשר (kasher) literally means “fit.” The laws of Kashrut define the foods that are fit to eat and are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. (Leeser) Rabbinic interpretations of the biblical edicts have been recorded over the centuries in the Mishna and Talmud. Talmudic law has also been interpreted differently by different medieval communities which lead to differences in observances and customs between the Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Mizrachi (Eastern European, Spanish, and Middle Eastern) Jews.(MJL) 

Note of Importance: There are many levels of Judaic observance, and these differences should be respected as should the individual.  That being said, this information is very basic and may not fulfill some levels of observance.  Kosher food can be “not kosher” because of how, where, when, or by whom it was prepared.   

The Very Basics of “Kosher”

1. Only kosher foods may be eaten

2. Meat and Dairy foods may not be mixed or eaten together

Kosher food is divided into three categories: 

1. Meat - that which contains or is made from the meat or bones of mammals and birds

2. Dairy - milk or that which contains or is made from milk (e.g., butter, cream, cheese, ice cream)

3. Pareve - anything that is neither meat nor dairy (e.g., fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, eggs).  These foods may be eaten or combined with either meat or dairy foods.

What’s kosher and what isn’t?

PRODUCE

Fruits/Vegetables/Grains/Seeds - Must be insect-free

Kosher: All

ANIMALS

Mammals - Must have split hooves and chew their cud. 

Kosher:  cows, sheep, goats, deer

NOT Kosher: pigs, rabbits, squirrels, bears, dogs, cats, camels, and horses

Birds - May not have talons or a hooked beak.

Kosher: domestic chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and pigeons

NOT Kosher: birds of prey and scavenger birds

Reptiles/Amphibians/Invertebrates/Insects

Kosher: 4 types of locusts

NOT Kosher: all others

Fish/Seafood - must have fins and removable scales

Kosher: salmon, tuna, pike, flounder, carp, herring 

NOT Kosher: catfish, sturgeon, swordfish, lobster, crab, shellfish, and all water mammals

But wait! There’s more. In addition to being a kosher animal, in order for mammal and bird to be kosher they must be slaughtered in a manner called shechtah wherein the animal’s throat is precisely slit with a perfectly smooth and extremely sharp knife by a highly trained individual called a shochet. An animal that is killed or dies by any other means is NOT kosher (e.g., hunted).

Additionally, that which comes from a kosher animal is also kosher.  This covers milk, eggs, and honey.  

Honey? Bees are not kosher, so why is honey considered kosher? Honey is not considered a product of the bee; it is not produced actually produced by a bee’s body. The busy bee gathers nectar from flowers and their body's act only as temporary “storage.” While in the bee, the nectar is broken down and transformed into honey by enzymes in the bee. When sugar concentrations reach 80% the honey is transferred into the honeycomb. It is not actually digested by the bee and therefore the honey is not a product of the bee itself. 

GRAPE JUICE/WINE

Kosher: if only handled and produced by observant Jews.