الخميس، 14 يناير 2016

The Truth About Kosher Meals

By Dorothy Taylor


Some people are very sensitive to the way their meals are prepared. Whether it be due to dietary purposes or religious customs, everybody has a choice to how they would like their meal to be prepared. Kosher meals are prepared in accordance to Jewish laws and beliefs.

Kosher meals must meet Jewish dietary laws. It is known as kashrut. It is a Hebrew word that means "proper." Jewish dietary laws can be found listed in the Torah. A national Jewish population survey conducted in 2010 shows that 21% of all Jewish Americans say that they keep kosher in their homes.

Jewish law is very strict when it talks about food that are permissible to eat, and others that are not. For instance, pork is not allowed. The pig is an animal that should never be consumed. Any type of mammal that chew cud or have hooves that are cloven are not acceptable. Although some fish are considered clean, shellfish is not permitted.

When purchasing foods that are considered to be acceptable to the Jewish dietary law, one must be careful. Not all Jewish foods are kosher. Individuals need to look for special symbols on packages, as well as the word pareve. Also as a special note, different certifying agencies do use different symbols, so it is always wise for the individual to do their homework.

When a meal is prepared one must be careful not to have beef or poultry served with dairy products. They are not to be eaten together. However eggs and dairy products can be served together. Sometimes restaurants are very careful in observance of this dietary law and offer either exclusively dairy or meat. This prevents cross contamination from occurring.

Fish, eggs, grains, and vegetables are food that are allowable to be consumed with either dairy or meat foods. Poultry is also included in this dietary restriction. Fried chicken is not considered acceptable because it has a batter that is milk-based, however fish with the same batter is permitted.

The meal itself is not only important, but also the way that it was prepared. Kitchens that are kosher in nature always use separated sets of pots, dishes, utensils, or anything used that comes into contact with meat or milk. The separation of utensils and dishes are of utmost importance because they are not to be cleaned together. Many Jewish families have two sinks. This help make the separation process a lot easier. Separate towels and racks must also be used when drying utensils or dishes.

Consumers need to be careful, especially when purchasing what is considered kosher food. They should look for a certification which usually has a symbol located on the packaging or has the word pareve. However one should be aware that there are different types of symbols that can be used depending upon the certifying agency.

This Hebrew word whose meaning usually means that something is clean, fit or pure, has began to take a different meaning when used in the American English language. Its informal usage means that something is proper or genuine. It has been known to take the place of the phrase, "something is wrong." People now say that something is not kosher, when they think that something is not quite right.




About the Author:



0 التعليقات:

إرسال تعليق