Jump to content

Downcity/Providence Retail

AriPVD

By AriPVD
in Providence

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 2.5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

Posted
Posted

I'm not religious at all.. I find all god fearing folk to be lacking in intelligence.. The need for religion baffle me..

Since we are on religion in food, why must everything be "blessed" kosher? I dont understand why things like red plastic cups and Airheads candy needs to be deemed kosher.. Seriously, if someone could explain why things like pickles, bagged leaf salad and Franks Red Hot I would really appreciate it..

I have a semi-solid understanding of the concept; animal products, etc.. But it rings as completely racist for a jew to not eat something produced by a non-jew and call it "non-kosher" JUST because a non-jew made that product....

i'm not sure what you're getting at. i don't even know where that original post came from. i actually saw something either on tv or the internet about a guy who was complaining about paying extra because the food companies have to pay a special rabbi to bless the food as being kosher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheAnk Hamlet

TheAnk

Posted
Posted

i'm not sure what you're getting at. i don't even know where that original post came from. i actually saw something either on tv or the internet about a guy who was complaining about paying extra because the food companies have to pay a special rabbi to bless the food as being kosher.

Actually, its a stretch, but bloody rocker sent a UP link from a 2005 Tim Hortons comment, and that contained some fast food chain injecting religion into large diet sprite fountain sodas..

I just dont understand why kosher isn't considered a racist entity.. The rules state that something made by a gentile is not to be consumed.. (If I have that right, not sure)

Isn't that one of the most blatant racist things ever??? Am I misunderstanding this? That is very possible.. Some clarification on kosher would be most appreciated..

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

Posted
Posted

Ank, i'm not sure where you get your kosher intel from, but I don't think you're right. My brother in law, a boozy WASP was a great chef and cooked kosher. He followed all the kosher laws and the kitchen was inspected on a regular basis by a special rabbi charged with these sorts of things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

Posted
Posted

yeah, i don't know where you got your info from... do you really think the people who make just about every packaged food are jewish and that they never touch a gentile's hands? if that were the case, i think we'd see a lot more synagogues and no one would be complaining about the lack of jewish delis and good bagels. :silly:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
basachs Burg

basachs

Posted
Posted

Okay...lets talk kosher. I am not sure how this came to be on this forum, but I'll let Cotuit make the determination.

Lets get one thing straight...please. Never, ever ever ever does a rabbi go in an bless food. That is nonsense, although I understand why some people might have this notion. In fact, it does not even need to be a rabbi to supervise the production of food to be kosher, although a lot of times it is, as not all rabbis lead congregations and they need jobs too. :) They go in and supervise and make sure the production conforms to kosher standards. No blessings. We only bless food after it is prepared and that is more of a gesture of gratitude to G-d for allowing us to have access to it in the first place.

On to why actual products need to be kosher. I will take Ank's specific examples, but in general anything that is to be consumed or can hold consumables needs to be supervised as kosher. Bagged Lettuce...definitely needs to be supervised as kosher. For those that observe kashrut, the eating of certain insects that live on lettuce poses a number of issues. Most are not kosher. For those that are, there is the issue of mixing animal flesh and dairy. So this item really needs to be kosher.

Franks Red Hot? Again, a number of reasons. See the general guidance above about consumables. Mingle that with the fact that if the machinery used to make the Red Hot was previosuly used to make Franks Red Hot Pork Gravy and you see the problem. Also, to an observant jew that keeps kosher, which hot sauce you gonna pick? The one that is supervised or the one next to it that is not? Kosher consumers are an important demographic to reach.

It used to be that most general products were not kosher, but companies are realizing the value of the market. I remember growing up and being so happy when M&Ms were finally kosher so I could taste one. I never had a Twinkie or an Oreo till later in life either.

Now i dont think red plastic cups have a supervision symbol (been a while since I was at a frat party) but an argument is made that basically anything that will touch consumables should be kosher. Not so much on the aforementioned plastic cups, but things like dish soap and toothpaste...

As for racism...last I checked gentiles were not a race. Jews are not a race...but anyway...

There are certain things that are deemed so important to get right in terms of kosher that only a trained jewish kashrut supervisor must be involved. Things like wine and honey for example. However, almost all kosher restaurants employ gentile cooks whose food is eaten with gusto by the kosher patrons, so this concept of "only jews can touch my food" is not entirely accurate. Same goes for packaged foods as Jim points out.

Hope that helps and if a one person walks away from this with the new understanding that food is not blessed to be kosher, I will be ecstatic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mr2448 Whistle-Stop

mr2448

Posted
Posted

Kosher is a process of how to prepare foods and how to contain food. It also deals with the mixing of foods, liquids and solids, that are prepared. To be Kosher the food preparation has to have proper supervision by Rabbinical staff. This can be by Rabbi or those who are trained in Kosher supervision. ANYONE can prepare Kosher food as long as it is prepared according to Kosher laws. And obviously anyone can eat it.

Supervision does not have to be daily. I am not sure how often there needs to be an inspection to keep the Kosher designation. Items have to be clearly marked as Kosher. No hidden labels. If you have to look for the label than I would be suspicious. You would never find one under a paper cup! It would be clearly marked on the outside of the cup.

It is possible that Kosher preparation could be more costly than non-Kosher preparation. But that means you could choose which food you would want to eat, Kosher or non-Kosher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheAnk Hamlet

TheAnk

Posted
Posted

Well, I, at the very least, am that one person.. Well done basachs.. After reading yours and mr2448's posts, as well as some online research I THINK I understand kosher.. (and having a vegetarian lady, an understanding of kosher IS relevant)

Meat not with dairy.. Dairy, not with meat... No bugs.. No blood.. No weird animals.

My misconception and partial facts were about wine...

The gentile thing is strictly grape based.. Presumably because non-jews were putting biblical roofies in jews vino back in the day I guess.

I didnt understand the gentile thing... I presume "gentile" to mean non-jew.. That would mean, by cuisine, jews HAD TO BE racist... But I was wrong... They just have to be wine racist I guess..

WTF is a gentile?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

Posted
Posted

anybody been to panini place on weybosset, near where the revolving parking structure would be but probably won't be? snzzy modern light fixtures...

Where? What? Who? No.

There's a new place in where Jimmy John's was, Benders* Cafe.

*Bender being British slang for a homosexual, so I'm wondering where the name came from, maybe:

bender.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MJKS Crossroads

MJKS

Posted
Posted

It's owned by two lesbians, so...

Where? What? Who? No.

There's a new place in where Jimmy John's was, Benders* Cafe.

*Bender being British slang for a homosexual, so I'm wondering where the name came from, maybe:

bender.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.