Abigail Almonte

11/9/15

Professor Leonard

Assignment 4

Countries around the world have one thing that separates their culture from

another, and that’s food. These dietary choices that can define culture can also play a

role in religion. In two examples, both Jewish and Islamic food traditions are based

around their religion.

Jewish food traditions, also called kosher, are distinctive because of its dietary laws.

Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of kashrut, the Jewish dietary law.

 For meats, a Jewish man must slaughter the animals and the slaughter must be

quick and swift by the throat. Cattle, sheep, goats, deer and bison are kosher food

sources. Pigs and rabbits are prohibited from being eaten.

 Fish with fins and scales are permitted, but shellfish are not, including eels,

octopus, sharks, and whales.

 For fruits and vegetables, it is considered Kosher only if there are no bugs in

them.

 Meat and dairy cannot be consumed together.

 For alcohol, kosher wine can be consumed in moderation.

Islamic food tradition, also called Halal, is anything that is permissible according to

Islamic law. Halal food has differences and similarities to kosher dietary laws. One

similarity includes the way animals are slaughtered. Animals also have to be killed
quickly and at a single point on the throat. The knife must not be lifted before the cut is

complete. The blood also has to be drained completely. Pigs are also forbidden from

being eaten. Although there are a few similarities, there are also differences in the way

they handle food. Some differences include:

 Requiring a prayer to Allah before every slaughter.

 A Muslim must slaughter the animals.

 Rabbits are included in permissible meats.

 Meat and dairy can be consumed together.

 Alcohol is prohibited.

Although these food guidelines show the differences in culture, both Kosher and

Halal certified foods are widely available throughout the United States. As a food service

director, accommodations must be made due to the wide availability of these types of

foods. Someone who is Jewish or Muslim wouldn’t typically handle the cutting and

prepping of the meat as it can interfere with his or her religious views on the way the

animal should be handled. If the food service area is making food specifically kosher or

Halal, then the employees who are Jewish or Muslim and practice the dietary laws can

handle that food preparation because they have more experience with it. It can make

certification of those foods much easier for the food service director and the company as

a whole.

Sources:
http://www.kof-k.org/Industrial/WhatIsKosher.aspx
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Halal_vs_Kosher