Today we are going to deal with the topic of kosher products and more specifically cheese. We are going to explain why this can only be eaten by those who are within the Jewish law, in addition, we will explain how the foods and cheeses are made. We will also see that there are several types of cheese and that we can all really eat them, unless we are not very much in agreement with the way in which these animals are slaughtered.
Jewish law specifically indicates a series of foods that cannot be consumed, either because of the time of year or because they do not meet the requirements. The kosher process is usually respected in the current industry in many foods without our knowing it, then, apart, there are the kosher certified products.
This certification strictly follows the requirements with which food must be prepared and we will see that in the next section and throughout the entire text. It is a process that can make more than one person’s hair stand on end, so from now on we warn you that certain information can hurt sensitivities.
What are kosher products?
To begin with, kosher means fit, or also that something is fit or suitable for food according to Jewish dietary standards. This law regulates two key aspects, on the one hand, the foods allowed and, on the other hand, how they should be prepared, since they must be supervised at all times and even the smallest detail must be suitable, that is, kosher.
There are regulations that tell which products can be eaten, which ones cannot and how they must be prepared to obtain the certificate. That includes meat, fish and dairy, for example, when it comes to meat, only those mammals that chew their food ( ruminants ) and with cloven hooves (cow, ox, goat, sheep, lamb, deer and buffalo) are allowed ), as well as chicken, turkey, duck, and goose. With regard to fish, only those that have fins and scales, so shellfish is prohibited.
There is also the possibility of being vegetarian or vegan, only here they take it very seriously and do not turn a blind eye to anything. In this one it is almost about the Kosher Pareve certification, that is to say that it is neutral and here all the demands of this type of vegetable diets are met. This certification ensures 100% that the products do not contain anything they should not, which offers peace and tranquility to consumers.
Why do you eat kosher cheese?
Because it complies with Jewish dietary standards , that is, it complies with the animal sacrifice process according to Jewish law so that the food is pure and of the highest quality. In the next section we will explain how it is made, but now we are going to explain why eat kosher cheese and not regular cheese.
Kosher cheese has a number of benefits compared to normal cheese, for example, to make the cheese you need rennet and this is obtained from the stomach linings of animals and this can lead to it not being considered kosher. Therefore, it can only be made from kosher animal, plant or microbial options for them to be certified.
So, in a nutshell, this type of food is consumed for the safety of the process, for the quality of the food, and because it meets the demands of Jewish dietary standards. Which are not mandatory for all Jews, in addition, there are many consumers who opt for this type of food for the quality of the process.
how cheese is made
To begin with, all the instruments for the preparation of the product must be kosher and there can be no meat derivatives, which is why it is frowned upon to mix cheese and sausages, in a sandwich, for example.
Animal sacrifice techniques are somewhat unpleasant, but it is a traditional system that promotes religious sacrifice, where, without anesthesia or anything, the throat is divided with a dry cut reaching the spine and the animal bleeds to death while it is hanging by the hind legs.
In the case of dairy products, the milk is obtained from the live animal as usual, that is, the milk comes from the cow, goat or sheep (kosher animals) directly from the farm. From there, each step has been supervised to obtain the certificate.
Once it is taken to the processing plant, all the instruments, ingredients and equipment must be kosher, so that they comply with the regulations, as well as be supervised by a rabbi or some figure that represents the Jewish dietary norms. This is not always the case, but some types of cheese require the presence of a rabbi, otherwise it may not be considered suitable, that is, kosher.
Types of cheese
There are several types of kosher cheese, because there is something we want to make clear. Kosher cheese is not a different type of cheese, no, it is the same one that we can eat without being Jewish, only that its production method is more careful, pampered and controlled (except for the animal sacrifice that seems to us to be somewhat wild, even if it were of the kosher method, the industry isn’t that good either).
By this we mean that the types of cheese suitable for Jewish dietary standards are mozzarella, cheddar and Swiss cheese , as long as it is kosher certified, otherwise it is not suitable for this type of diet. This is a symbol that is easy to identify. The most common is a K with stars and it says Kosher, then there are two more stamps, one with letters in Israeli and another that is a large U inside a circle.
This type of cheese is usually found either in the special sections by country of the world, or in the special food aisles, or in the dairy aisle with the rest of the cheeses, yogurts, and milks. It depends on each supermarket, but if there are Jewish communities where we live, surely there are products in the supermarkets that are suitable for Jewish dietary standards.
