Introduction

In Judaism, many religious Jews follow a set of dietary laws known as kashrut, which determine which foods are kosher (allowed) and how they must be prepared. These rules come mainly from the Torah, especially Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, and they help Jewish people maintain holiness in everyday life.

How animals must be killed

For meat to be kosher, the animal must be alive and healthy when it is killed. It must be slaughtered in a specific religious way called shechita.

• A trained and certified person, called a shochet, uses a very sharp knife to cut the animal’s throat quickly and cleanly.

• Animals are not stunned before slaughter because Jewish law requires death to be caused by the cut itself.

• After slaughter, the blood must be completely drained, because the Torah forbids the eating of blood.

Which animals are allowed (kosher) and which are not

Jewish food laws allow only certain animals to be eaten:

• Land animals must have both a cloven (split) hoof and chew the cud.

• Kosher examples: cows, sheep, goats, deer.

• Non-kosher (trefah) examples: pigs (do not chew the cud), camels (do not have split hooves), horses (neither).

• Birds must be non-predatory.

  • Kosher examples: chicken, turkey, goose, duck.

  • Non-kosher (trefah) examples: eagles, hawks, owls—any bird that hunts other animals.

• Fish must have fins and easily removable scales.

  • Kosher examples: salmon, tuna, herring.

  • Non-kosher (trefah) examples: shellfish (e.g., prawns, crab), squid, shark.

Even if an animal is technically kosher, it must still be slaughtered and prepared according to Jewish law before it can be eaten.

Permitted parts of the animal

Even within a kosher animal, some parts are not allowed, including certain fats and the sciatic nerve. Kosher butchers must prepare the meat carefully to remove these forbidden parts.

Mixing meat and milk

A key rule of kashrut is that meat and dairy must not be mixed together.

• They cannot be cooked together, eaten together, or served with the same utensils.

• Many Jewish homes have separate sets of pots, pans, plates, and cutlery for meat and dairy.

Kosher certification

In modern society, many foods come from factories or contain complex ingredients. To help consumers know what is kosher:

• Some products have a Hechsher, a kosher certification symbol from a recognised rabbinic authority.

• A Hechsher is helpful but not essential; some foods are naturally kosher (for example, fresh fruit and vegetables).

Why kashrut matters

For many Jews, following food laws is a way of obeying God, maintaining Jewish identity, and bringing holiness into everyday actions - turning even something as ordinary as eating into a spiritual practice.