The Jewish legal term for food that is fit to eat under dietary law is kosher.
Kosher comes from the Hebrew word kasher, meaning fit, proper, or suitable. The body of Jewish dietary law is called kashrut, and its rules are derived principally from the Torah and developed through rabbinic interpretation. They address permitted animals, slaughter, preparation, mixtures, and other food practices.
For example, land animals must have split hooves and chew their cud to qualify, while pork is excluded because pigs do not meet both conditions. Meat and dairy are traditionally kept separate, and many observant Jews use separate utensils for them. Kosher does not simply mean “blessed by a rabbi”; certification generally confirms that ingredients, equipment, processing, and supervision meet a particular standard. Standards and symbols can differ among certifying organizations.