Which animals are considered kosher and are allowed for consumption?

There are two characteristics that are mandatory for any animal to be considered kosher.

1. Ruminant
2. Split Hooves

A ruminant animal is one that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach, known as the rumen, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again.

It is interesting to note that all kosher animals are not carnivorous, rather they are VEGETARIAN.  So in fact, a good way to sort which animals are kosher and which are not - is quite simple.  It is all about who eats whom for lunch :)

A kosher animal may be part of your lunch
A non-kosher animal may very well desire you for its lunch

A partial list of kosher animals: Oxen, Cows, Sheep, Goats, Deer, Gazelle and Giraffe.  All with cloven hooves and chew their cud. Did you know that the  Giraffe was a kosher animal?

Animals with just one of the "Kosher" identifying characteristics are not regarded clean and kosher for consumption.  These include, among others: The camel, a ruminant but without divided hooves; the hare, ruminant without cloven hooves; and the pig, which has cloven hooves without being a ruminant.

REMEMBER: Classification of animal as "Kosher" is only the first step.  Besides being from a kosher species, kosher meat requires that the animal be slaughtered in the manner prescribed by the Torah, (shechita laws).  Additionally, after the animal is properly slaughtered, its internal organs are inspected for any physiological abnormalities that may render the animal non-kosher (traif). In  particular, the lungs must be examined to determine that there are no adhesions (sirchot) which may be indicative of a puncture in the lungs.

Read more about kosher... see links below.

 

• Exploring Kosher - Home • Meaning of Kosher • Why Go Kosher? • Who Eats Kosher? • Kosher Etiquette • Which Animals are Kosher? • What is Glatt Kosher? • Kosher Supervision • Koshering Your Kitchen • Kosher Recipes • Kosher Glossary --------- • The Kosher Directory • Kosher Restaurants • Kosher Baskets • Kosher Cookbooks • Books about Kosher

KOSHERING YOUR KITCHEN? Make it easy on yourself - COLOR COORDINATE! Accessorize and tag and color coordinate -click here Meat (red) pots: Click here Meat dishes: Click here Dairy (blue) pots: Click here Dairy dishes: Click here Pareve (green) pots: Click here Pareve dishes: Click here Another tip: tag your dishes to designate Meat/Dairy/Pareve with color tape (red/blue or green) Click here