Dietary rules can be strict at times, as in most cases, like Islamic religions and also Judaism, there are many written rules (written a long time ago) and they should stand the test of time, but is it possible to be the cases, in the modern times.
Just as in Islamic tradition, in Judaism, there are rules that all Jewish people should follow, and it rules their entire lives, but food in particular.
The Kosher standard represents the production and preparation of food based on certain Jewish regulations and traditions that are seen in the Torah, and these laws are thousands of years old, so sometimes the explanation can be blurry.
But there are some things that could be done so that the process of consumption is easier.
A kosher certificate (Heb. Kashrus – appropriate, right, or accurate this is also all truthful) ensures that a particular food product meets the requirements defined by the Torah, the Holy book of Judaism.
It is also known in some as the book of the 5 prophets of Moses.
The Torah defines which food items, seen in a general way, are permitted for consummation and how they must be prepared in order to be approved for consumption.
Now, just like in the Islamic faith, here also one of the most important parts of the foods is meat, and in what way it is consumed.
In Islam, any type of pork is not permitted for consumption, but what is going on with Jewish people, can they consume it?
In the case, of Islamic laws, pork is not permitted, because it is seen as impure, while poultry could be consumed.
Now, what is the case when it comes to the kosher laws, the main thing is how you combine meat and dairy products, they must be separated by all means.
Here, we want to speak more of duck, and whether is it permitted to be consumed in the Jewish religion.
One thing must be said at the start and this is it – Jewish people do not have a centralized rule, like for example Catholics, and since they live scattered around the globe, we cannot expect that all rules are the same for all Jewish people in the world.
Is duck kosher to eat?
In general, eating duck is seen as kosher.
Now, there are some rules that must be followed, so that the duck is seen as kosher, although as a type of meat it is kosher, it does take relevance in what way the animal was slaughtered.
It must be killed from the hands of a shochet that is qualified to do so, and the meat must be adequately salted, and this is seen as the most humane way to kill an animal, and should be followed by all means.
Then the duck is a kosher food – and it must be left separately from any dairy products or milk.
When in doubt about a certain food, if you can or cannot consume it – many would recommend this, to rely on Mesorah.
Have you heard of Mesorah?
Jewish people know that in Judaism, this is the type of oral practice and that when people say word by word and give to their families, etc, then they learn what they can eat and what they cannot eat.
This is truly suitable in times when the law is not very clear.
As laws were written many years ago, and food has changed in modern times and so how can you know what you can or cannot consume if that food item did not exist in times when these rules were written?
Listen to the words of your families and their tradition.
Then it is advisable to speak to someone, and the fact that you have consumed a certain item, for example, here we are talking about the duck meat that is allowed by the Jewish laws, that it is allowed, as you have learned to eat it from your parents (a family) and they from them and so on, so it is traditionally allowed food.
Is duck meat kosher?
The Torah documents 24 prohibited types of birds and the Talmud exemplifies that, in between other characters, the entirety of birds of prey are not allowed, as we have said.
In these modern times, it is very usual to consume only those types of birds that we know are kosher based on the conventional rule – for example, turkey, chicken, goose, and duck.
It is interesting to look at eggs that are allowed of course, and they must come from chickens that are also kosher, and this is something to look at when it comes to buying and eating poultry and their products.
So, if we sum up all that we know, Jewish rules on what meat is seen as kosher, say that the meat is kosher only when it meets these conditions:
Meat that s consumed must come from cows, goats, sheep, and cows, as they are all animals that have hooves. These types of meat are permitted by Jewish laws.
Then, the only part is the front that allowed us to eat the pieces of meat, in the terms of the front parts of an animal that is seen as kosher.
As we have said poultry could be consumed.
Before any cooking, the blood must be removed, and there cannot be any trace of it. For this purpose, the meat is put into salt for an hour, so that any traces of blood were removed completely.
Now, just for comparison, these types of meat are not seen as kosher – pig, camel, horse, squirrel, rabbit, and kangaroo.
Birds of prey must not be consumed – owl, hawk, or eagle. This part is undoutable, as they cannot be consumed, and was never were, according to the tradition.
What is not permittable are parts of beef that come from the back part of an animal like sirloin.
Other parts are allowed and can be consumed.
When found in a restaurant you can always go to that places that serve kosher food, and can also ask the staff if that food is kosher.
This is never a bad idea.
Is duck kosher for Passover?
This is one very important date during the year for all Jewish people and another name is Pesach. It is the day when Jews are celebrating their liberation for Egyptians.
And during this time there are plenty of opportunities to eat, and choosing what is allowed can be an issue.
Ducks are seen as a delicacy, can be prepared in many wonderful ways, a true treat for the palate, but the question is can they be consumed?
It is kosher, as we have said, but certain rules must be followed, as we have said in the previous sections.
During Passover, it is allowed to eat fruits, some dairy products, nuts, and eggs.
At times, the process of choosing what to eat and what not to eat as a Jewish person is reduced to trying to understand these laws, as at times they are self-explanatory, and at other times they are hard to understand, and this is also associated with food rules.
More about duck meat
At the moment, we can say that in nature, there are more than 100 different types of ducks.
Their meat is seen as very healthy, and it is darker than for example turkey meat and it is soft and thick.
Duck seen as meat is seen as a remarkable source of protein, and if you have not heard of it, now is the time to implement it, in your weekly food rotation.
On every 100 grams of duck meat, there are around 16 grams of protein, and this is truly great, for all that want to make their intake of protein to be bigger.
There is a vitamin A (more than some other sources of this vitamin here there is much more.
Also, in duck meat, there is riboflavin and folic acid – amazing for your health, and there is also vitamins B (1, 3, 6, 12).
In duck meat, there is also potassium, phosphorus, sodium, selenium, manganese, copper, and of course a lot of iron,
All of these elements are important for human growth and are highly recommended by dietitians.
What needs to be noted is that this meat has a lot of fat (and this is something that you can taste, as duck meat has that fatty taste).
So, it has 100 grams of a meant the same amount of fat.
Eating this meat suggests that you can prevent many diseases and prevent illnesses like tumors, brain problems, and issues with the cardiovascular system.
Also, duck meat has a high energy value – 25 kcal per 100 grams of duck meat.
But, there are some rules which must be followed when it comes to duck meat, even when we know that it is very good for human health.
Of course, the same rule cannot be applied to all people, as not all of us have the same health status, and duck meat is very specific and so there is a group of people who are recommended to consume it, and there are those who should avoid it.
Many agree that this type of meat must be in the diet of those who want to eat meat, but at the same time to remain healthy – but this meat that is seen as a delicacy is not recommended, and this is something that people must pay extra attention when consuming this type meat.
People who have high cholesterol should avoid eating duck since it has a lot of fat in itself.
People who have diabetes must avoid this meat, and also people who struggle with diabetes – a high percentage of fat is not recommended for them.
Also, those who have a problem with liver or stomach issues must avoid this as it can be digested in a proper way.
Conclusion
So, to conclude, when we look at the basis of Jewish ways of eating, and there are some regulations, we have to remind you that they all must fall under the laws of kashrut.
This law is to a certain extent known – pork is forbidden, there cannot be consumed shellfish, and maybe the most known is that there can’t be consumed milk and meat at the same time.
Just like in some other traditions, there are also other laws that are present, and not all of them are perfectly clear, and it does not mean that they are applied in all countries in the world.
Duck is generally the type of meat that is permitted for consumption, but there are some types of duck (as we have said, in nature, there are over 100 types of this animal), and the real question, is – are they all kosher?
Just as an example, a type of Muscovy duck is one of them.
This duck is a domesticated duck in the so-called New World (Mexico), but its appearance is slightly different than when it comes to the other ducks, and this is particularly true when you look at its distinctive caruncles, which make them more look like turkeys then ducks.
The first Jews who started consuming this duck were those that were settled in Russia.
The Kashurt law that is set on the food can at times provide a contradictory or blurry direction on what to eat and what not to eat as a Jewish person.
Have in mind that these dietary rules were written thousands of years ago when people lived in some smaller parts and did not know the diversity of food, or that one bird for example can have different types.
In the case of the duck, this number goes up to hundreds.
Education is definitely the key when it comes to following all these Jewish dietary rules, and we must say that there are numerous helpful tools along the way that you can use.
