glossary of terms


Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus, כַּשְׁרוּת) is the set of Jewish dietary laws.

Food that follows the halacha or Jewish Law in terms of type and preparation is termed kosher. The word kosher translates to “fit,” meaning fit for consumption. In addition to referring to food, the word kosher is also applied to products, methods, and other non-food related processes.

Kosher food:
Only meat from particular species is permissible:

  • Birds must fit certain criteria; birds of prey are not kosher. There must be an established tradition that a bird is kosher or similar to one that is before it can be consumed. The turkey, for example, is native to the New World and would therefore not be found under tradition. However, it is similar to a known bird, the "fowl of India" and is therefore acceptable. In general, birds which are hatched with feathers and are able to walk soon after are kosher.
  • That an animal is untamed does not preclude it from being kashrut, but a wild animal must be trapped and ritually slaughtered (shechted) rather than killed some other way to be kosher.
Other laws:
  • Food prepared by Jews in a manner that violates the Shabbat (Sabbath) may not be eaten until the Shabbat is over.

Different people follow different levels kashrut. For some Jews, certain foods must have been prepared in whole or in part by Jews, including:
          * Wine
          * Certain cooked foods (bishul akum)
          * Cheese (gvinat akum) and according to some also butter (chem'at akum)
          * According to some: bread (under certain circumstances) (Pas Yisrael)
Additionally, food such as seeds, nuts and vegetables need to be checked so as to avoid eating insects.

In medical terms, following the laws of kashrut can keep a Jewish patient from receiving a porcine heart valve replacement or from using insulin of porcine origin.

For more information about the different symbols and designations used on kosher products, please see Hecksher.