Meal III

The land animals that the Torah considers suitable for Jewish consumption are those that have cloven hooves and are ruminatives, such as the cow, the sheep, the goat, and the deer.

Aquatic animals must have fins and scales. All others (such as mollusks and other scaleless fish) are not kosher.

Regarding birds, Jewish law stipulates that only those birds with a long-standing kosher tradition may be eaten. The Torah lists birds that are not kosher (such as birds of prey), implying that most are. Examples of kosher birds include chicken, duck, and pigeon.

Fruits and vegetables do not require supervision (except for fruits from the Land of Israel, which should only be consumed when they bear a rabbinical seal of approval). However, it is necessary to check them for pests and insects. The inspection process for each fruit or vegetable depends on the type of pests it may contain.

Fish doesn't require much preparation before eating. As long as it's kosher, it's not necessary to slaughter it (perform shechita) or remove the blood (a process called melicha).

In the case of meat and chicken, the processing is much more complex. It is not the purpose of this short section to discuss that process, because it does not apply to most people who consume meat and chicken.

Nowadays you can go to a kosher butcher shop or buy kosher meat at the supermarket and it comes ready to eat.

It is worth mentioning that meat and fish should not be eaten together, or on the same plate. They can be eaten one after the other (by switching plates), but not together, as this is considered dangerous by the Talmud.