What is Kosher? A Beginner’s Guide to Kosher Food

If you’ve ever seen the word kosher on a food label or heard someone say they “keep kosher,” are you stuck wondering what kosher means? Kosher refers to a set of dietary laws rooted in Jewish tradition, defining what is permitted (kosher) and what is forbidden (non-kosher or treif) to eat. 

But what is considered kosher? And what makes food kosher? Let’s break down the basics.

What Does Kosher Mean?

Kosher is a Hebrew word meaning “fit” or “proper.” When we talk about kosher food, we’re referring to food that adheres to the rules laid out in the Torah and later in rabbinic law. These laws govern not just what you can eat, but how food is prepared, processed, and even served.

Keeping kosher is a core aspect of Jewish life for many observant Jews, and in recent years, kosher food has gained popularity among consumers who are vegan, vegetarian, or simply looking for food that meets stricter standards of supervision and cleanliness.

What is Considered Kosher?

There are three basic categories that kosher foods fall into:

• Meat (Fleishig): Includes the meat from kosher animals and fowl, as well as their derivatives like broth and fat.
• Dairy (Milchig): Includes milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt from kosher animals.
• Pareve: Neutral foods that contain neither meat nor dairy, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and fish.

A key principle of keeping kosher is not mixing meat and dairy. That means not cooking or eating them together, not using the same utensils for both, and even waiting several hours between eating one and the other.

What Makes a Kosher Animal?

Not all animals are kosher. For land animals to be considered kosher, they must:

• Have split hooves and Chew their cud (like cows, sheep, and goats)

Pigs, for example, only have split hooves—they don’t chew their cud, so they’re not kosher.

Fish must have fins and scales to be considered kosher. That rules out shellfish like shrimp, lobster, and crab.

Birds that are traditionally eaten (like chicken, turkey, and duck) are kosher, while predatory or scavenger birds are not.

Even when the animal is kosher, it must be slaughtered in a specific way (shechita) by a trained professional to be considered fit for consumption.

Supervision and Kosher Symbols

Because the kosher laws are complex, food production must be closely monitored. That’s where kosher certification agencies come in. These agencies oversee food production and issue a hechsher—a symbol or stamp found on the packaging that tells you the product is kosher.

Some of the most common kosher symbols include:

• OU – Orthodox Union
• OK – OK Kosher Certification
• Star-K
• CRC – Chicago Rabbinical Council
• Kof-K

Each symbol may also include letters like D (contains dairy), M (contains meat), or P (kosher for Passover).

If you’re wondering what makes food kosher when it comes to packaged goods, these symbols are your guide.

Understanding what kosher means goes beyond just checking ingredients—it’s about a set of religious and ethical practices that influence everything from farming and slaughter to packaging and preparation. Whether you keep kosher for spiritual reasons or are just curious about cleaner, more supervised food options, the kosher label is a mark of tradition, care, and intentionality.