“You may eat any land animal that has divided hooves and that also chews the cud”
This includes animals like lamb, beef, goat and most herbivores. The pig has divided hooves, but does not chew cud, so pork and all kinds of bacon are forbidden.
“You may eat any kind of fish that has fins and scales”
This includes most of fish, but forbids all other seafood, like shellfish or creatures like eels etc.
In the case of birds, they are mostly acceptable, there is one main rule: they have to be farmed, so birds like turkey, chicken, duck etc. are perfectly fine. All birds that are hunted cannot be eaten by Jewish people.
The Torah also states how Jews should prepare the meal that can be eaten: “The one thing you must not eat is meat with blood still in it; I forbid this because the life is in the blood” (Genesis 9:4)
Jewish people can eat only animals that are killed in “kosher” way. That means in a ritual manner called shechitah. Only a shochet, a licensed Jewish butcher trained in the kosher method of slaughter is permitted to kill an animal. The animal’s throat is cut swiftly with a sharp knife and without pre-stunning. This method is said to avoid cruelty because death is instantaneous. Than the carcass is hung up to drain away the blood. When the meat has been jointed, it is soaked in salted water to completely remove the blood, and then rinsed before cooking.
The Torah clearly states the rules about meat and milk “Do not cook a young sheep or goat in its mother’s milk.” (Exodus 23:19). Based on this rule Jewish people believe that it is forbidden to use milk, which comes from a living animal with meat, which comes from the dead animal. As a result the two products are never mixed in Jewish religion. When meat is to be cooked and eaten for dinner, than all products involving milk cannot be eaten even as a part of the sweet course. Cheese cannot be substituted either, because it also contains milk, but a fruit course would be acceptable. Orthodox Jews take great care to ensure there is no accidental mixing of meat and milk in the preparation. They have two separate areas in their kitchen, one to prepare and wash-up meat dishes, the other for preparation of dishes involving milk. There is one sink, cupboards and utensils (with red handles) for meat, and with blue handles for milk products. Reform Jews vary in how strictly they keep the kosher rules. Some may eat kosher food but do not necessarily have separated kitchen. Most Jews would argue that family life is at the heart of their religion.
