Jewish dietary taboos

The core of Jewish dietary taboos comes from the "Kosher" guidelines stipulated in the Jewish law "Halakha". It is essentially a dietary agreement derived from religious culture and has no mandatory universality - the degree of compliance among different Jewish sects varies greatly, and not all Jews follow this set of rules.

Last year, I was buying bagels in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. The boss specifically pointed to the kosher certification mark printed in Hebrew on the corner of the counter and said that this was a freshly baked batch and that non-kosher take-out food must not be brought into the store to be eaten. I didn't pay attention at the time. I held the lard cookie I just bought in my hand and put it on the counter for half a second. The boss's face suddenly fell. He reached out and took the bagel back half a grid. It still feels funny when I think about it now.

Many people’s impression of Jewish dietary taboos is only “don’t eat pork”, but it’s actually much more than that. Animals on land must meet both the requirements of "parted hooves" and "rumination" before they can be eaten. Cows and sheep meet the requirements. Pigs have divided hooves but do not chew the cud, so they are classified as unclean. Camels, rabbits and other animals that chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves cannot be touched. Not only are the ingredients on land very particular, but the selection criteria for things in the water are also very strict. They must have fins and scales at the same time, so catfish, eels, shrimps, crabs, and shells are all on the forbidden list. I have a friend who believes in Conservative Judaism. Last time we went to the beach to make skewers. He watched us gnaw on garlic vermicelli vermicelli and scallops and could only hold corn while chewing. She said that when she was a child, her grandmother lied to her that scallops were "poisonous insects in the sea," which caused her to subconsciously react when she sees scallops.

Oh, by the way, even food that meets the requirements cannot be eaten casually. The animal must be slaughtered by a specially trained rabbi. The carotid artery must be cut with a sharp knife to minimize pain, and all the blood must be drained. According to Jewish regulations, blood is the "carrier of life" and must not be eaten. Therefore, even if the ingredients of cows and sheep killed by ordinary slaughterhouses on the market meet the requirements, Orthodox people will not touch them.

What is more troublesome to outsiders than the selection of ingredients is the rule that meat and milk cannot be eaten together. Even tableware that has been used to hold meat must not be used to hold dairy products. Extreme orthodox families will have two completely separate sets of kitchen utensils, one for meat and one for dairy. They have to wait six hours after eating meat before eating dairy products. I've had social problems before. When I went to an orthodox colleague's house, I brought a cheeseburger as a souvenir. They stood at the door and didn't pick it up. They reminded me tactfully that cheese is milk and meatloaf is meat. They must not be eaten together. I stood in the corridor and dug my toes into the ground in embarrassment.

Don’t think that all Jews follow this rule. Nowadays, everyone’s attitude towards kosher food completely follows sects and personal ideas. There is no unified standard at all. The ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) are indeed strict to the core. When eating out, they only dare to go to restaurants with kosher certification. They must order special kosher meals half a month in advance before flying, and they must confirm whether the kosher seal on the package has been removed before removing it. Conservatives are much more relaxed. Many people strictly follow the rules at home, and there is no psychological burden if they occasionally eat two shrimps when going out to meet with friends. Last time, my conservative friend secretly ate a bowl of braised pork behind her mother's back. After eating, she took a photo and posted it on WeChat, where only I can see it, with the text "It tastes so good, I will atone for it in the next life." Reformists are more liberal. Many people don’t take these old rules seriously at all. I used to know a Reformist Jewish girl who studied in China. She ate Zhou Hei duck every day and was more spicy than me. When people said that Jews don’t eat pork, they would ask, “Who made this rule?” I just love eating Guobao Pork."

There is no conclusion yet on the origin of this set of taboos, and all parties have been arguing for many years. Most religious scholars insist that this is a purely religious commandment, an agreement between God and the Jews, and has no secular reasons. ； Some historians also believe that this was a hygienic rule set by the ancient Jews to adapt to the desert living environment. After all, there was no cold chain in ancient times, and pork was prone to trichinella parasites. Seafood without scales was more likely to spoil and make people sick easily, so they simply banned it. ； Some sociologists believe that this is a distinction made by ancient Jews to strengthen their national identity. Eating is the most daily behavior, and eating different foods naturally makes it difficult to assimilate with foreigners. Several theories have their own supporters, and no one can convince others.

Nowadays, there are still many secular Jews who actively avoid pork even if they are not religious. It is not because they follow any rules, but because they have been eating this way since childhood and it has become a lifestyle habit. I asked the Jewish girl who loves Zhou Hei duck what she thought of this set of rules. She nibbled on the neck of the duck and said nonchalantly, just like some people don't eat coriander and others don't eat onions. It's just a personal choice. If you want to abide by it, you can eat it. If you don't want to abide by it, just eat it. There is no need for others to make a fuss, and there is no need to force others to break the rule. Just respect it.