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Comments (0)Sometimes it is hard to know which animals you can eat and which you can’t when you are first trying to keep kosher. God denotes in the Torah what is kosher and what is not.
When talking about mammals, Jews can eat any animal that has split hooves and chews its own cud, like a sheep, cow, goat or deer (Lev. 11:3 and Deut. 14:6). Animals that would not be kosher, for example, would be pig, camel and rabbits.
Kosher fish, according to the Torah, are those with fins and scales, like tuna, salmon and trout (Lev. 11:9 and Deut. 14:9). Shellfish, for example, would be non-kosher.
Which birds are kosher is a bit tricky. The Torah does not provide criteria to determine the kosher status of birds, but does state that several birds of prey or scavengers are forbidden. The sages inferred from this that this is the distinction and therefore only birds such as chickens and geese are permitted (Lev. 11:13-19 and Deut. 14:11-18).
Jews cannot eat insects (grasshoppers being an exception –– but not recommended!), rodents, reptiles or amphibians. The laws stem beyond the actual meat of these animals to their milk, eggs, fat and organs.