What is Kosher and how do you 'keep Kosher'?

Kosher is Hebrew for "fit" or "appropriate." It's a designation that has come to encompass specific foods, preparation, timing, and what one can eat mixed together. It also has come to include a spectrum of observance from strict to none at all.

The Torah, the sacred text for all Jews, references animals that can and cannot be eaten. On land, any creature that both chews its cud and has split hooves is Kosher. By sea, any fish that has both fins and scales is ok. Soaring high, birds of prey or scavengers are a 'no.'

But Judaism isn't governed only by the Torah. The Talmud is a set of ancient rabbinic debates on how the vague and oft times contradictory information in the Torah is to be interpreted and practiced in everyday life. These rabbis set up additional rules that are very complex.

For example, it set out ethical slaughter. From a Torah principle that a goat can't be cooked in its mother's milk, they created the idea of the separation of meat and dairy in all meals and dishes. Some things like bread is normally Kosher but isn't Kosher for Passover (timing).

Judaism as a body is split along different streams. On one end of the spectrum are the Ultra-Orthodox and on the other end of the spectrum Reform Jews. Along with theological differences, there is a spectrum of observance of Kosher laws often falling along stream lines.

How far someone takes keeping Kosher is highly variable. The Ultra-Orthodox have separate appliances, crockery and plates for meat meals and dairy meals. Some people keep 'Kosher style' just not mixing meat and dairy but not looking at labels. Others don't keep Kosher at all.

Check the label. Meat will be labelled Kosher if slaughtered properly. Processed food may have a label that indicates it's Kosher for a dairy meal--contains Dairy but are otherwise Kosher. Meat and fish too. Pareve means that it is neutral and contains no meat or dairy.

The Kosher symbols on food or the sanction granted to restaurants are conferred by different issuing bodies. Some trust certain issuing bodies more than others to be thorough. How can someone not be thorough? Cereal may be non-kosher if it has raisins coated in animal glycerin.

If you're a non-Kosher person navigating Kosher laws... getting a gift maybe... the safest way to go is a Kosher labeled wine or a prepackaged item. Don't break the package seal! Who knows you might have eaten a ham sandwich as you opened it to put it in a gift basket.

Kosher laws are very complex. It's hard for people who are Jewish to navigate the intricacies, much less people who aren't fully versed in not just the verbatim sacred text but also the cultural and traditional nuances. When in doubt, look for OU--the most common Kosher marking.