Kosher, are the type of food that convince the requirements for the values of Jewish law. A mammal is called kosher if it has split hooves and chews its cud.
For example cows, sheep, goats, and deer are kosher, whereas pigs, squirrels, bears, dogs, cats, camels, and horses do not come under kosher.
What Does Kosher Mean?
This word actually gets its meaning from the Jewish dietary law. When you see something kosher certified it means meat and animal products are not mixed together.
In other words, animal products from non-kosher food animals are not included, whereas kosher meat is from animals that have been properly slaughtered.
Although there is a certain degree of confusion when it comes to kosher food. To understand it fully one must learn all the aspects of Jewish people’s culture regarding food.
It is important to understand that all types of meat are not included, there are certain restrictions when it comes to some specific kinds of meat. Aside from animals with split hooves, some domesticated fowl meat may also be eaten.
The ones which come under this category are chicken, geese, quail, and turkey. All this does not end here, as it’s not just the meat that has to be eaten, the way it is being cooked also matters.
It is a completely different culture with a different style of eating and cooking, so why should the utensils be left out? All the utensils used to butcher or prepare the meat must be kosher.
An admissible meaning for this is that the utensils must be designed only to use with meat and meat products, as the very same utensil cannot be used alongside dairy or for dairy products.
Why Isn’t Rabbit Kosher?
Yes, rabbit is not kosher! It is because, in order for an animal to be considered kosher, it needs to chew its cud and have split hooves. Rabbits chew their cud but do not have split hooves.
And according to Jewish law, their holy god said if it did not have both of these qualities then it was not clean to be received. So, the reason behind not fulfilling one of these qualities is that they actually don’t have a cloven hoof!
They have a paw but they do chew their cud, which ungulates do as part of their digestive system and multiple stomachs. The term rabbit starvation originates from a fact.
And this fact is that a rabbit is very lean, it has all the necessary caloric content. But the source of this caloric content is protein from where they get the intake of this, rather than fat.
So, because of the source of caloric intake, there is a chance of protein poisoning if it is consumed exclusively by any means.
Is It Kosher To Eat Rabbit?
No rabbit is not kosher. They are ceremonially unclean for you. The reason behind this is that they don’t have split hooves. Rabbits and camels are the two animals that are not kosher because they do not have split hooves, although they chew their cud.
Ever heard about rabbit starvation? While eating rabbits it can kill you as they are an effective source of nutrition, the protein source inside their body is harmful to the human body if consumed wrongly.
It’s the most paradoxical thing out there. Not only the rabbit is more expensive in the market, but it’s a tougher meat to cook with and the amount of meat you get after cooking is pretty negligible after comparing its size.
Why Is Rabbit Meat Not Kosher?
According to Kashrut, the dietary laws of the Jewish, there are some prohibitions on the consumption of some animals like a mixture of milk and meat-commandment of animals and birds.
These laws are for the impact on the stability of food for consumption. These acts are regarding agriculture production. The laws can be classified according to the origin of the prohibition and whether the prohibition concerns the food itself or a mixture of foods.
Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs, and milk of the forbidden animals. Certain parts of the animal are not permitted to be eaten. Meat cannot be eaten with dairy.
Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. Do not combine dairy and meat in the same meal; and if you eat a meat meal, you cannot have dairy until the meat meal has been completed.
Any further waiting is optional. Although according to some sources fish cannot be eaten with meat. Just like this, rabbits are also an exception in the case of kosher. As it does not have split hooves it cannot be consumed.
Moreover, its meat is much tough to cook in comparison to other meat. Keeping in mind the health of humans, rabbit meat is not that good to consume as its protein can cause poisoning to the human body and will cause trouble.
The caloric consumption is noticeably good in rabbits but it’s not from fat which makes it hard for the cook to make dishes out of its meat and the human digestive system will not be able to absorb that.
The intricacies of modern-day food technology make it virtually impossible for anyone but an expert in the field to know whether processed food is free of any trace of non-kosher ingredients.
So all processed foods and eating establishments require certification by a reliable rabbi or kashrut supervision agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is rabbit halal?
Animals that eat their own droppings are not permitted by Shariah to be consumed. Rabbits and Guinea Pigs regularly eat their own poop because they lack the kind of advanced complex digestive system that the larger herbivorous mammals have.
Does Kosher food have to be blessed by a Rabbi?
It is a common myth. A Rabbi does not “ bless” a portion of food to render it kosher. To produce a kosher-certified product, all of the component ingredients must be kosher certified including any processing aids that contact the food.
Is it Kosher if It’s raw fruit/veggies/nuts, packaged but it is the only ingredient labeled?
While fruits and vegetables are technically kosher by default, some fruits and vegetables require special inspections/washing processes in order to be considered useable. So, a hechsher is required for some vegetables, fruits, and nuts. As an example, ready-to-use frozen fruits and vegetables don’t require a hechsher. Dried fruits require a hechsher because of the use of various chemicals/additives during the drying process.
Is eating rabbit meat healthy?
Rabbit is one of the healthiest, leanest, and most environmentally friendly meats you can eat. Although you shouldn’t eat rabbit meat exclusively as it might lead to protein poisoning.
Conclusion
Since rabbit chews their cud but do not have split hooves. They are not considered kosher.
And so, the next time someone mentions that rabbits are not kosher, you can correct them and share all the knowledge you gained from this article!
