Here at Kosher River Cruise, we always celebrate our Jewish heritage and traditions. In fact, our aim is to make it the highlight of your journey.
One of the features that we pride ourselves on is our kosher food. But for strangers or newcomers to Judaism, what does it mean to eat and keep kosher?
Here are the things you should know about kosher food, and there’s more to it than avoiding pork.
What is Kosher?
Basically, food is kosher when it adheres to Kashrut, the dietary rules and guidelines for the Jewish people. These rules are from the Torah and have been our guideline for thousands of years.
There are three general divisions in kosher:
Meat
All meat that was slaughtered, drained of blood, and cleaned according to particular specifications are considered kosher.
Kosher slaughtering or Shechitah must be simple and quick to avoid unnecessary pain to the animal. However, it is important to note that not all animals qualify for kosher meat.
A kosher meat must come from animals that have split hooves and chew their cud. For example, sheep, goats, cows, and deer are allowed. Meats coming from fowls are universally accepted, except from predatory and scavenger birds and other species as mentioned in the Torah.
Dairy
All things that are derived from or containing milk are considered dairy. This includes yogurt, cheese, butter, and even ice cream.
In order for these products to become kosher, all the equipment and utensils used to create or make the dairy product must be kosher. Moreover, the utensils must be kept away from meat as well. The consumption of dairy should not be done alongside meat, nor should dairy be part of meat dishes.
Pareve
Pareve includes everything that does not fall into meat or dairy. This also includes eggs, grains and coffee, and tea.
Fish are also considered pareve. However, it must have fins and scales for it to be kosher. Shellfish are not part of our meals onboard.
Other Kosher Rules
Here are the most important rules we follow when preparing kosher food:
Meat and milk must be separated at all times. In fact, following the customary rules, when you eat meat, you should wait for at least six hours before you consume dairy.
Also, it is strictly prohibited to eat blood. Even eggs should be checked for blood spots as well.
During Passover, everyone is abstained from eating leavened meals. All traces of leavened food should be removed from home.
Our Kosher Services
As a certified kosher cruise, we know that kosher food is not just a kind of food to eat. It’s the sanctity of preparing the food.
That is why our chief chef, Master Kosher Chef Malcolm Green sees to it that everything, from choosing the cuisine to preparing and serving, follows therules of Kashrut.
That is why we guarantee that everything you eat on board is kosher …and delicious too!