The
Jewish word “Kasher
” indicates the
food in compliance with the Jewish alimentary norms. Some quadrupeds, birds
and fish are forbidden and in the same moment cannot be eaten foods made of
meat with foods made of milk .
Kasher
wants to say simply what it is allowed because pure, proper, suitable.
Rules
for the aliments of the Jewish kitchen.
The
fact that the Hebrews from twenty centuries live scattered in the world
explains because uses and customs vary from country to country. The ritual
changes according to the Jewish communities have seat in the Mediterranean
basin (Sefardite Community), in the Center-East Europe (Ashkenazite
Community) or in the Levant (Levantine Community).
The way to prepare foods changes in the various communities even if for this
kitchen there has been an evident process of assimilation with the dominant
society.
“To
cook Kasher”, for the observant Hebrews does not want only to mean to
maintain a tradition, to safeguard some hygienic norms, but has also the
meaning to sanctify (Qedushah).
Like
all Hebraic precepts, that spur to cover of sacrility every action of the
daily life, also cooking kasher acts as stimulus to the inner search. This
precept is carried out with the “shechità” or Hebraic ritual
slaughtering that consists in killing the animal with a single cut of the
most sharp knife and with very precise measures, from the trachea to the
esophagus, so as to provoke the immediate death and the complete bleeding.
Beyond
to the shechità, who executes the slaughtering, must provide to the “bedicà”,
that is, to an accurate visit of control of the killed animal because in
case turn out sick or imperfect the animal is not kasher and therefore
cannot be used.
Afterwards
will follow “nikur” or elimination of the sciatic nerve.
Subsequently
on proceeds to the elimination of some parts of fat of the meat (chelev).
The
“melihà” (put under salt): the meat well rinsed must be put under
coarse salt for at least twenty
minutes and not more than one hour. After the salting the meat must be
washed under running water for two or three times in order to eliminate the
blood completely, or putting the meat to grill, in such way the blood drains
in the below container.
The
liver will be roasted because the salting is not sufficient to eliminate the
blood, while the brain and the heart will be put under salting after having
them opened and well cleaned.