View Full Version : Kosher question
Kiwifan
07-22-03, 06:24 AM
I know this may sound kinda dumb but can anyone here help me re Kosher?
I own a little service station/grocery a bit like your 7Elevens I guess. Well today we had two bus loads of American kids from New York and they wanted to know if the stuff they were buying was "Kosher". Well two staff on and 60 plus kids all yelling and asking the same question and it's like "what the hell?" I appreciate that some folk can't or won't eat certain types of food but we were really stumped. Examples. They could buy Coke, water, some fruit juices but not others. They were buying plain crisps but not chicken, Snickers bars but not Cadbury bars, etc.
It's like we wanted to help them but to be honest it's not something that many Kiwis know about. I asked around. :) What makes something Kosher and something made by the same company not?
Sorry for sounding a bit thick but I can see more tours coming and it would help to get a bit of a background.
I posted this here because I knew it wouldn't turn into a frenzied mine is better than yours thread like can happen elsewhere. ;) To me, religion is a private matter. I respect you and yours no matter what so this isn't about religion or what seems normal to us is strange to other folk. Anyone help this poor dumb Kiwi?
Cheers, Rusty.
Having a Jewish wife has taught me a little about what kosher is. Bascially if it is a seperation of what meat, fish, fowl you can or cannot eat. Also it is a seperation of dairy and meat. If you go into a decent size grocery store you will notice that they usually have a seperate 'kosher' meat slicer. Also if you buy something that is certified kosher like table salt, wine, etc.. that means that, quite literally, a Rabbi either blessed the factory or he blessed the assembly line.
Napoleon
07-22-03, 07:18 AM
Originally posted by mapguy
Also if you buy something that is certified kosher . . .
You can tell if it is since the label will say Kosher or have a little "K" on it or say "Parve".
BTW I beleive its not that a Rabbi blesses the place of production but that the production method is reviewed to see if it meets Jewish dietary practices.
[add with edit] - and Pork is never Kosher.
And to add a bit more - this article is on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0307220197jul22,1,6910890.story?coll=chi-business-hed
Nappy, just to clarify, in certain instances, Mapguy is correct. I sent a food-grade tanker to the Napa valley one time for a load of kosher wine. The winery loaded the tank, but my driver couldn't leave until the load was blessed by the rabbi.
My driver waited about two hours, and all of a sudden there was a honkin' big cloud of dust coming up the road, into the winery slides a BMW M3 spraying pine cones, rocks and gravel, out hops this surfer dude looking guy with bleach blonde hair and a Mr. T starter kit consisting of several gold chains strung around his neck, the guy says "hey", pulls out a bible and such, does his blessing, apologizes for being late, and leaves in another cloud of dust.
So you see, they do actually bless the product in some cases. ;)
About the only item I have ever noticed that had kosher on it was a jar of pickles.
Napoleon
07-22-03, 11:13 AM
Originally posted by Turn7
About the only item I have ever noticed that had kosher on it was a jar of pickles.
Look carefully, many items have it, its just very small and located near the ingrediant disclosure area of the label.
chop456
07-22-03, 11:15 AM
Originally posted by Turn7
About the only item I have ever noticed that had kosher on it was a jar of pickles.
Like Nappy said, look for the little "K" with a circle around it. I was surprised how many products are Kosher. Even Tabasco.
It's a fascinating practice, and one I'd be interested in learning about. I know some people have 2 separate kitchens within a kitchen with 2 sinks/2 dishwashers to keep the meat/dairy dishes separate.
Docker's and Levis are not kosher. Hence the fact that I don't wear pants.
Originally posted by mapguy
Docker's and Levis are not kosher. Hence the fact that I don't wear pants. :am now blind emoticon:
http://www.hebrewnational.com/images/whatiskosher.gif
www.hebrewnational.com
chop456
07-22-03, 02:33 PM
Hebrew National kick ass. Best's are pretty good, too. Vienna are my favorite, but I have no idea if they're kosher or not.
Kiwifan
07-22-03, 02:42 PM
Thanks for your replies. I've been in groceries 25 years (good grief!) and although I've known about the pork, the rest had me confused.
To be honest I've never seen the little K on any products during that time either on locally made or imported goods. It will give me something to look out for. ;)
Once again, thanks for replies.
Rusell.
mmmmmmmmm, briskeeeeeeeeeet
*droooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool*
http://home.engr.utexas.edu/patelaa/pictures/homer-drool.gif
(this time it works!)
Napoleon
07-22-03, 06:28 PM
I work with some Jewish people and some forwarded these to me.
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/kosherfaq.htm
By the way, some of this reminds me of a story I read in, I believe, the New York Times about 6 to 12 months ago. Apparently some universities are now preparing special food for students who want to meet particular religious dietary requirements. What was interesting, in light of the Middle East situation, is that one university had a Kosher food program. It also had a number of Muslim students, but no program for them (the numbers did not justify running the program). Since foods that meet Kosher standards will meet Muslim standards (but not vice versa, Muslim standards are slightly more relaxed) the Muslim students ate in the Jewish students cafeteria. I found it interesting.
A review of the ingredients list will also sometimes reveal why one item is kosher, and a similar item is not.
Up until a few years ago, the filling in Oreos was made with lard, while the filling in Hydrox cookies was made with vegetable shortening. Thus, the Hydrox were kosher, but the Oreos were not. (After Nabisco switched away from Lard, it took them a few years to get the Kosher certification, but Oreos are now Kosher.)
Originally posted by Napoleon
I work with some Jewish people and some forwarded these to me.
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/kosherfaq.htm
By the way, some of this reminds me of a story I read in, I believe, the New York Times about 6 to 12 months ago. Apparently some universities are now preparing special food for students who want to meet particular religious dietary requirements. What was interesting, in light of the Middle East situation, is that one university had a Kosher food program. It also had a number of Muslim students, but no program for them (the numbers did not justify running the program). Since foods that meet Kosher standards will meet Muslim standards (but not vice versa, Muslim standards are slightly more relaxed) the Muslim students ate in the Jewish students cafeteria. I found it interesting.
From what I'm told, when the animal is killed "allah" needs to be uttered, and since kosher food is "blessed" anywho...it suffices, and to the muslims, they all have the same god :) happy happy people :) don't believe there's any restrictions on what part of the animal can be eaten or anything like that, other than ixne on the orkpe.
Canon2292
07-22-03, 07:31 PM
I'm not going to judge a culture; but on that diagram, the flank looks delicious.
If you want to know about anything else Jweish, go to a great website called Judaism 101.
My granny was absolutely strict Kosher and you need FOUR sets of dishes -- two for everyday life and two for Passover. She had two separate pantries, each with its own sink and implements.
And she did all this in the 1930s in the big woods of Wisconsin with 12 kids to feed and instruct -- completely surrounded by Norweigian Bachelor Farmers.
JLMannin
07-23-03, 12:30 PM
There are different Kosher certification bodies, each with their own symbol. I do not know what they are, what the differences are, or which is most strict. There is the aforementiones "parve", a "k" inside a triangle, and a "U" inside a circle. The "U" symbol is for the union of orthodox jews, I believe.
There are also guidelines as to how the animal is killed that qualifies meat as kosher.
If you enter a strict kosher house (as in, not mine) you'll find seperate dishes, pots, pans etc... one set for meat and the other for dairy foods so never the twain shall meat. It makes no difference how many times you wash the plate, if you have a piece of cake on it once you can never eat meat off if it.
Don't get me started on what you can and can't do on the Sabbath.
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