What makes food kosher?

Answer 1

How its slaughtered (if it's meat or chicken), how it's processed, made, and cut.

Answer 2

Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Resh, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher," which describes food that meets these standards. The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.

Contrary to popular misconception, rabbis or other religious officials do not "bless" food to make it kosher. There are blessings that observant Jews recite over food before eating it, but these blessings have nothing to do with making the food kosher. Food can be kosher without a rabbi or priest ever becoming involved with it: the vegetables from your garden are undoubtedly kosher (as long as they don't have any bugs, which are not kosher!). However, in our modern world of processed foods, it is difficult to know what ingredients are in your food and how they were processed, so it is helpful to have a rabbi examine the food and its processing and assure kosher consumers that the food is kosher. This certification process is discussed below.

There is no such thing as "kosher-style" food. Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law, and there are many fine kosher Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Traditional Ashkenazic Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, blintzes, and matzah ball soup can all be non-kosher if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law. When a restaurant calls itself "kosher-style," it usually means that the restaurant serves these traditional Jewish foods, and it almost invariably means that the food is not actually kosher.

Food that is not kosher is commonly referred to as treyf (lit. torn, from the commandment not to eat animals that have been torn by other animals).

Answer 3

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-kosher-food.htm

Kosher food is food prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary guidelines or "Kahrut" which means "proper." Any food can be called kosher food if it follows the proper guidelines. Conversely, foods typically labeled as "Jewish" aren't necessarily kosher. The word "kosher" isn't used for only food, however. Kosher basically means something follows all the Jewish legal guidelines.

What are some of the laws governing kosher food?

According to the Torah, the five books of Moses, cloven hoofed, cud-chewing mammals are kosher. Deer, sheep and goats are all considered kosher foods.
Only certain birds are considered kosher in the United States. Chicken, duck, goose and turkey.
Lobster lovers might be dismayed to find that for a fish to be kosher, it must have fins and easily removable scales. In most cases, scales must be present on the fish in order to be purchased by the consumer. There's more. If a fish monger isn't kosher, that means his cutting implements and machines aren't kosher either. If it is to be considered kosher food, it must be prepared with kosher equipment.
Fish and meat cannot be served together.
Milk and meat cannot be served together.
Processed food must be prepared in the presence of a rabbi.
Poultry and meat must be slaughtered under strict guidelines called "shechita." This means the animals are slaughtered without pain. Only those who are trained and qualified are allowed to slaughter kosher animals. Once the animal is no longer alive, another team of experts will examine the animal to be sure the animal is without illness, abnormalities or anything else that can be considered unsanitary. The lungs in particular must be pure. In addition, all blood and most fat must be removed.
Families who eat only kosher food must use two separate sets of utensils, pots, pans and dishes. One set is for poultry or meat, and another is set for everything else. In addition, these dishes and utensils can't be washed together. If a kitchen has two sinks, it is an ideal setup for a kosher family. If not, one set of dishes must be washed; the water emptied and sink scrubbed before the other set can be cleaned. Dishes and utensils must be dried using separate racks or dishtowels.
There are many other rules to be followed for anything to be considered kosher food. Suffice it to say that if one is purchasing prepared food, one must examine the packaging to be sure the food is labeled kosher.

Answer 4

Kosher food is blessed by a rabbi at some point during the process, and it is processed a certain way. At the Albertsons near me there is a large Jewish population and they actually employ a rabbi to work in the deli. What a country.

Answer 5

Key principles common to Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism are:

* Restrictions on permissible foods (See Kosher foods):
o Land animals must be mammals which chew their cud and have cloven hoofs.
o Birds of prey are prohibited
o Fish must have fins and scales (non-fish seafood is prohibited)
o Meat and milk (and anything made with dairy and meat products) cannot be served in the same meal, or cooked using the same dishes or utensils, or stored in a way that could cause them to intermingle. Observant Jews have separate dishes for meat and milk.
* Kosher slaughter of animals and birds. Kashrut requires all animals (and birds) to be slaughtered by a trained individual (a Shochet) using a special method of slaughter, shechita. Among other features, shechita slaughter severs the jugular vein, carotid artery, oesophagus and trachea in a single cut with a smooth, sharp knife.
* Blood must be thoroughly removed from all meat, using one of several methods such as soaking and salting, or broiling.
* Utensils (and whole kitchens) which are used with non-kosher foods are generally considered to have been rendered non-kosher, and will transfer that non-kosher status to kosher foods. Alternatively, such utensils may be made kosher again by one of several methods appropriate to the utensil and circumstances. These methods include immersing in boiling water, heating, and other methods.
* Special rules on Passover to prevent leavening, including prohibitions on certain grains susceptible to leavening, products derived from them, similar products, and utensils used in preparing and serving them. Observant Jews traditionally have separate (meat and dairy) dishes and utensils for Passover.

Answer 6

For something to be kosher the animal has to be blessed by a rabbi and then the rabbi cuts its throat with special knives before it is slaughtered.

Answer 7

How the food is prepared. The Jewish faith has a very strict rule on how all foods are prepared for the strict followers of the faith.

Answer 8

How it's slaughtered, cleaned, and prepared. Also the meat needs to be inspected by a rabbeye.

Answer 9

Attendance and certification of a Rabbi and ritual slaughter and preparation of the meat.

Answer 10

ADD PORK TO IT !!!!