Consumer Kosher Articles

Behind the Labels

As temperatures continue their upward climb, in many instances posting record highs, tired and thirsty families take refuge in the treats of summer: creamy ice cream bars, tangy fruit punches that paint one’s teeth, sticky chocolates that melt in the hand. These are the rewards for another day of heat endurance, pulled from the recesses […]

What’s The Truth About…Kosher Soap?

Misconception:There is no valid reason to use kosher soap.

Fact:There is a solid halachic basis for using kosher soap exclusively.

What’s the Truth About…Giraffe Meat!

Misconception: Although the giraffe is a kosher animal, it is not slaughtered because it is not known where on the neck to perform the shechitah (ritual slaughter).

Fact: The makom shechitah (region of the neck in which ritual slaughter is valid) on a giraffe is precisely defined by halachah, just as it is for all animals, and the only impediments to shechting giraffe are cost and practical considerations. (They are among the most difficult animals to restrain.)

What’s The Truth About…Glatt Kosher

Misconception : “Glatt Kosher” means something like “extra kosher” and applies to chicken and fish as well as meat.

Fact: Glatt is Yiddish for smooth, and in the context of kashrut it means that the lungs of the animal were smooth, without any adhesions that could potentially prohibit the animal as a treifa, an issue only applicable to animals, not fowl or non-meat products.

What’s The Truth About … Nikkur Achoraim?

Misconception: Nikkur achoraim (rendering the hindquarters of an animal fit for kosher consumption) is a Sephardic practice that is banned by rabbinic fiat for Ashkenazim and thus not performed in the United States.
Fact: There is no such ban, and nikkur was practiced in many Ashkenazic communities into the twentieth century. The practice of some communities to refrain from eating hindquarters, owing to the difficulty in excising the forbidden sections, continues to exist among both Ashkenazim and Sephardim.

An RFR’s Notes On Dettling Kirsch

In Switzerland it is inconceivable to celebrate a joyous occasion without a glass of kirsch – cherry brandy. For tourists, it is compulsory to take home postcards of the Alps, a package of Swiss cheese and … a bottle of kirsch [German for “cherry” ].

The Hole Truth: Together, Bagels & the OU Have an Unbeatable Personality

There is a definite connection between New Yorkers and the New York City bagel. New Yorkers are tough and firm on the outside but gentle and caring on the inside. A real New York City bagel too, is hard and crispy on the outside but moist and chewy on the inside. New Yorkers are shiny and flamboyant on the outside but good old down-to-earth and friendly on the inside. A real New York City bagel too, is burnished and slick on the outside but mushy and snug on the inside.

Dairy Labeling Policy

The Orthodox Union requires the use of the OU-D symbol on products that contain dairy ingredients.

Dairy English Muffins

The OU certifies many brands of English Muffins which are labeled OU-D and many others that are OU-Pareve. In light of the issur to produce dairy bread (Shulchan Aruch 97:1), how can the OU certify muffins as dairy? The following two answers have been suggested to this question, and each is followed by Rav Schachter’s comments:
Muffins have a unique shape.

Kaskeset: Part Two

In part one of this article, we discussed what the requirements are for fish to be kosher (i.e. that the fish needs to have “kaskeses” and what is a “kaskeses” ), as well as some of the common mistakes made in trying to determine which fish would qualify as kosher. In this article, we will discuss two practical methods to determine if a fish is kosher.