Many religions have guidelines in place that restrict the things people are permitted to eat and drink, as well as the manner in which they should be consumed. Those of the Jewish faith have followed very specific rules of dining for over three thousand years. Partaking of Kosher meals requires that one have a basic knowledge and understanding of what the term actually means.
Derived from kasher, a Hebrew word meaning something that is suitable and fit, the term has come to represent foods that are pure enough to be acceptable for consumption. The holy book of the faith, The Torah, is believed to be directly delivered by God and contains the rules and guidelines for criteria for this type of dining. The results should be good for the spirit as well as the body as they have been divinely instructed.
Unlike the French, Chinese and Cajun styles of cooking, this is more of a way of living much as being vegan or vegetarian are except based in religion. As long as the materials are of the approved types and processing is according to the rules, practically anything can be prepared in this genre. Likewise, those foods generally considered Jewish, such as matzoh balls, bagels and knishes, might become unfit if not created properly.
Though it is commonly believed that a Rabbinical blessing is what makes the food pure, that is a huge misconception. A Rabbi must observe each of the steps performed from harvest or slaughter through the preparation, it is strict compliance the the rules, not praying, that qualifies the items and gets them certified. Prayers said before eating and at other times are for giving thanks to God for providing nourishment.
The idea that a person is what they eat is a simplified explanation for the basis of this dining lifestyle. It means that if one consumes animals with unhealthy habits or plants that are unfit, their spirit and their physical being may be negatively affected. The strict rules assure that the people take in only the purest nourishment.
When it comes to the meat that is acceptable, the demands and restrictions are very strict. Any animal that is considered as a hunter, carrion feeder or eater of garbage and organic waste is deemed as absolutely forbidden. Only familial birds like chicken, turkey, geese and ducks, as well as cattle and game that meet the requirements of both possessing cloven hooves and being herbivores, are accepted.
All animals must be slaughtered in a ritualistic manner that is as humane to the creature as possible, administering near immediate death and inflicting no pain. The butcher should be certified in this method and the entire procedure must be observed by an individual who is ordained as a Rabbi. The full process to make the meat acceptable is very detailed and meticulous.
Firm conditions are set upon non meat items as well. They include such things as dictating how all bounty from the Earth is to be planted, tended and reaped, that the only edible fish are those with both scales and fins, and demanding a very close inspection of all dishes containing even minute bits of dairy. Rules are also placed upon how foods can be prepared and served, and which may not be consumed together.
Derived from kasher, a Hebrew word meaning something that is suitable and fit, the term has come to represent foods that are pure enough to be acceptable for consumption. The holy book of the faith, The Torah, is believed to be directly delivered by God and contains the rules and guidelines for criteria for this type of dining. The results should be good for the spirit as well as the body as they have been divinely instructed.
Unlike the French, Chinese and Cajun styles of cooking, this is more of a way of living much as being vegan or vegetarian are except based in religion. As long as the materials are of the approved types and processing is according to the rules, practically anything can be prepared in this genre. Likewise, those foods generally considered Jewish, such as matzoh balls, bagels and knishes, might become unfit if not created properly.
Though it is commonly believed that a Rabbinical blessing is what makes the food pure, that is a huge misconception. A Rabbi must observe each of the steps performed from harvest or slaughter through the preparation, it is strict compliance the the rules, not praying, that qualifies the items and gets them certified. Prayers said before eating and at other times are for giving thanks to God for providing nourishment.
The idea that a person is what they eat is a simplified explanation for the basis of this dining lifestyle. It means that if one consumes animals with unhealthy habits or plants that are unfit, their spirit and their physical being may be negatively affected. The strict rules assure that the people take in only the purest nourishment.
When it comes to the meat that is acceptable, the demands and restrictions are very strict. Any animal that is considered as a hunter, carrion feeder or eater of garbage and organic waste is deemed as absolutely forbidden. Only familial birds like chicken, turkey, geese and ducks, as well as cattle and game that meet the requirements of both possessing cloven hooves and being herbivores, are accepted.
All animals must be slaughtered in a ritualistic manner that is as humane to the creature as possible, administering near immediate death and inflicting no pain. The butcher should be certified in this method and the entire procedure must be observed by an individual who is ordained as a Rabbi. The full process to make the meat acceptable is very detailed and meticulous.
Firm conditions are set upon non meat items as well. They include such things as dictating how all bounty from the Earth is to be planted, tended and reaped, that the only edible fish are those with both scales and fins, and demanding a very close inspection of all dishes containing even minute bits of dairy. Rules are also placed upon how foods can be prepared and served, and which may not be consumed together.
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