A Visual Guide To Kosher Food Preparation

Whether you’re Jewish or not, you’ll have heard of kosher food. If you travel through Israel, you’ll see its presence advertised in every restaurant, café and shop where it’s served or sold. But what does this term actually mean? Culture Trip takes a closer look at this particular aspect of Jewish life.

When travelling across Israel, visitors will find most restaurants are marked as kosher, though some establishments in cities such as Tel Aviv and Eilat don’t always adhere to these rules. Nevertheless, every kosher venue in the country will have an official certificate, or hechsher, hanging on a wall somewhere.

From meat and dairy to salt and wine, the kosher label refers to any food, cooked or uncooked, that has been deemed ‘fit’ for consumption by authorised rabbis or specially trained mashgiachs.

Kosher foods are those that adhere to standards laid out in the Torah

Dairy and meat must never be served together

Generally, kosher foods are divided into three categories: meat, dairy and pareve. The last of these refers to all food types that don’t fall within the first two categories, including honey, eggs and fish. When it comes to salt, the term is used slightly differently: kosher salt is simply the purest form of salt, and is used in the preparation of kosher meat.

The manner in which an animal is slaughtered is the main difference between kosher and non-kosher meat

Hummus falls under the pareve category: foods that are neither meat nor dairy

In their unprocessed form, fruits and vegetables are considered kosher; however, they need to be inspected for insects, which aren’t

Set out in the Torah, kosher rules are complex. Fish and seafood must have both fins and scales – so no prawns. Land animals need to have cloven hooves and chew their cud – so no pork. And the mixing of dairy and meat is absolutely prohibited – so no cheeseburgers. (Orthodox Jews may also choose not to mix fish with meat or dairy.) These rules can get even more complicated when it comes to gelatin-encased medicines and hard cheeses, which might incorporate rennet derived from non-kosher animals.

For many, keeping kosher plays a big part in Jewish unity and identity

Any utensils, dishes or kitchen appliances used with non-kosher food cannot be used with kosher food unless they go through a process of ‘kashering’

When hosting a party, people might choose to serve food on disposable dishes to make everyone feel comfortable

Only animals that have been slaughtered according to a specified list of rules are fit to eat. These rules ensure the animal lives a healthy life and, when the time comes, dies without undue suffering. Basic rules dictate animals should be unconscious before death, so as not to experience any pain, and the killing must be performed by a ritual slaughterer, traditionally referred to as a schochet. Animals must also be healthy enough that they don’t pass diseases on to their offspring (eggs, say) or byproducts (such as milk).

In their purest form, grains and grain-based foods are considered kosher

The pomegranate is one of Israel’s so-called seven species, along with wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives and dates

Additional rules may be imposed during religious holidays

So, there you have it. And the next time you order some brisket, chicken soup, or even a beef burger in Tel Aviv, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.

About the author

Maya QSapieka

Maya Sapieka is a freelance editor and Culture Trip's former Commissioning Editor for the Middle East and Africa. A Ghanaian-South African Londoner living in Sydney, Maya has lived in 5 cities in 4 countries on 4 continents and writes about travel, culture, food and art.