What Is Kosher Food?
A plain-English guide to kosher food, from a Sydney kosher kitchen that has been cooking since 1970.
What does kosher mean?
Kosher is a Hebrew word meaning "fit" or "proper". Kosher food follows the Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut, which set out which foods may be eaten and how they must be prepared.
The main rules
Only certain animals are kosher. Beef, lamb and chicken can be kosher, while pork and shellfish are not. Fish must have fins and scales, so salmon is kosher but prawns are not.
Meat must come from animals slaughtered and prepared under supervision.
Meat and dairy are never cooked or served together, and kitchens keep separate equipment for each.
Meat, dairy and parve
Kosher food falls into three groups. "Meat" (fleishig) covers meat and poultry. "Dairy" (milchig) covers milk, cheese and butter. "Parve" foods are neither, such as fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and grains, and can be eaten with either.
Who certifies kosher food in Australia?
A kosher certifying body supervises the kitchen, its ingredients and its processes. In Sydney, the main authority is KA, the Kashrut Authority of Australia & New Zealand. Lewis' Continental Kitchen is KA certified.
Ordering kosher food in Sydney
Whether you keep kosher or are catering for guests who do, ordering from a certified kitchen is the simplest way to be sure. We deliver kosher platters, hot food and frozen ready meals across Sydney.
Common questions
- Is kosher food halal?
- No. They are separate religious standards with different rules.
- Can non-Jewish people eat kosher food?
- Yes. Kosher food is for anyone. Many people choose it for the supervision behind it.
- Is all your food kosher?
- Yes. Everything we make is prepared under KA supervision.