What are kosher foods? VA dietitian explains food is culture

Food has important implications in our lives that reach far beyond our physical health. For most of us, food has cultural significance. Honoring and upholding these food traditions is a way that we connect with our families, our communities and our ancestors. Understanding and honoring this is an important consideration in food choice.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, and food is woven throughout Jewish culture, heritage and tradition. Kosher food is perhaps the best-known example.

Many people have heard this term, but few understand what it means. It is often thought of as “blessed by a rabbi.” However, it is actually the Hebrew word for “fit” or “appropriate.” It can be taken literally to mean “food that is suitable for a Jew to eat.”

Kosher food has roots in both the Torah (Hebrew Bible) and the Talmud (an ancient rabbinical text that is the source of Jewish religious law). Many speculate that it was an early example of a public safety code, as some of the forbidden animals (pigs and shellfish) are now known to be carriers of foodborne illnesses. Without adequate refrigeration and modern medical treatments, food poisoning may have been deadly.

Kosher also speaks to types of foods that may be eaten, as well as how they are raised, harvested and prepared.

Categories of kosher food

There are three categories of food under Kosher guidelines:

1. Meat (fleischig in Yiddish): this includes the flesh of kosher animals (certain cuts of ruminant animals with cloven feet, as well as domesticated fowl).
2. Dairy (milchig in Yiddish): these foods must come from an animal raised under Kosher rules for animal husbandry. They cannot be mixed with any foods designated as meat. To adhere to this, many modern Jews have separate dishes, utensils and pots for meat and dairy foods.
3. Pareve (neutral in Yiddish): this describes all other permissible foods, including eggs, nuts, fish with fins and scales, tofu, fruits, vegetables and grains. They may be mixed with foods of either category.

In the spring, Jews celebrate Passover. During this time, additional prohibitions on certain grains (wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelt), or chametz, are in place. Some of these items may be permitted if they remain unleavened. In addition, many Jews who would not ordinarily observe Kosher restrictions choose to do so as a way of honoring their heritage.

Connecting to heritage

Food serves many purposes in our lives. Connection with our cultural and ethnic heritage supports our mental, emotional and spiritual health. Jewish food laws are just one example.

Many people have traditions with food at their springtime holidays. Ramadan and Lent are two other examples observed around the world. Take a moment this year to consider your family’s traditions. Where did they come from? How do they connect you to your ancestors? How do they remain relevant in your life today?

Interested in learning more about food culture or how to enjoy traditional meals as part of a healthy diet? Contact your local VA to chat with a VA registered dietitian.