A Brief Discussion of Kosher Meat and Poultry

Appears in
Jewish Holiday Cooking
Jewish Holiday Cooking

By Jayne Cohen

Published 2008

  • About
Just like humankind, animals too are sacred to God, and while permission to partake of their flesh was finally granted to Noah (Genesis 9:3), there has always been a pervasive sense among Jews that meat is at once imbued with God’s holiness and tainted by the profanity of blood.

A precious gift, meat is so highly esteemed that it will grace the Sabbath and holiday feasts that honor God. It is a food so special it should be eaten only if it is craved. But before it can be savored, meat—more God’s food than any other—must be strictly regulated more than any other food. These regulations are kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws that determine what is kosher, or fit to eat.