Kosher overview: Fins & scales, split hooves & rumination, proper schitah

What is Kosher?

Kosher is a complex set of laws that define what a Jew may and may not eat. All vegetables and minerals are Kosher for a Jew to eat. When it comes to living creatures, it gets a bit more complicated:

No creepy crawlies are considered Kosher, except for this one grasshopper 

Animals have to meet several criteria to be considered kosher:

They need to have split hooves and have a ruminating digestive system. This includes: cows, sheep, goats, giraffes(!?), and deer. It precludes animals like a pig, which has split hooves, but has a monogastric digestive system, so it is not kosher

Once we have a kosher animal, it needs to be slaughtered by a certified Shoichet - a rabincally ordained slaughterer who knows how to slaughter an animal in accordance with Torah law. 

It must be checked to see that the animal was healthy, and would not have died on its own.

It must then be salted to remove any trace of blood from the meat, for blood is forbidden to be eaten under Torah law

Fish need to have fins and scales in order to be Kosher. There are no laws regarding how to kill a fish. 

Regarding the birds, the Torah listed which birds were not kosher, the rest, by implication, are kosher. The Shulchan Aruch lists 4 criteria for a bird to be kosher:

Must have a Crop - a digestive organ in the throat

Have an extra finger

A gizzard that can be peeled

And not be a bird of prey

Only milk from a kosher animal is considered kosher.

Kosher Milk and meat is not allowed to mix. If they do, the dish is no longer kosher

There are endless more details regarding kosher, but we hope you’ve enjoyed this overview of what is Kosher