Rules to Follow for Kosher Eating

While many people have heard the word ‘kosher’ before many people are at a loss as to what the true meaning of the word is. The term ‘kosher’ refers to the dietary guidelines that must be followed by practicing members of the Jewish faith. It deals with the different foods that may and may not be eaten in accordance with Jewish dietary law as well as how the food may be prepared.

Contrary to what many people believe, kosher food is not food that has been blessed by a rabbi and made okay to eat. Food is considered to be kosher if it has been selected and prepared in accordance with Jewish kashrut, or kosher, law.

The Three Categories

According to kosher law, food is divided into three main categories. These three categories are meat, dairy, and pareve. One of the main laws of kosher eating is that meat and dairy may not be eaten or prepared together. Pareve is the last category of food, and it is used to refer to those foods that do not fall into either of the two former categories.

While meat and dairy are fairly self-explanatory and are used to refer to animal flesh (not fish) and products derived from cow’s milk, pareve is a bit more difficult to understand. Eggs, fruit, candy and vegetables are good examples of pareve foods.

Most people who are strict followers of kosher food laws have separate utensils used to prepare each category of food. Since they cannot be mixed, having separate utensils for each category of food eliminates the possibility of accidental contamination. It is very important for separate pans and utensils to be used when preparing food according to kosher law.

Playing the Waiting Game

Not only do the laws of kosher eating require that meat and dairy not be eaten at the same time, but they also require that a certain amount of time go by between eating the two. After eating dairy, kosher laws require that something pareve be eaten. The mouth must then be rinsed with water or juice, and the hands must be washed. A half hour or hour must go by before moving from dairy to meat. On occasion, certain hard or aged cheeses may require that a six-hour time period go by before consuming meat.

After eating meat, six hours must go by before it is permissible to consume dairy products again. Even the smallest piece of meat found in the mouth or between the teeth requires that the mouth be rinsed. If it has been swallowed, the waiting period must begin again.

More Resources

Following the laws of kosher eating can be tricky at times. Check out some of these additional resources for more help with Jewish kosher eating laws.

Even More Kosher Eating Resources....