Throughout the year, Jewish holidays are wonderful times for gathering with family and friends. Favorite holiday memories and traditions often center around food – sweet honey cake at Rosh Hashanah, crispy potato latkes at Hanukkah, tender matzah balls at Passover and so much more.

Featured Kosher Gifts

• Gourmet Sweets Gift Basket. $99.95.
• Free Shipping. Bakery & Red Wine Gift Tray.
• Thank You Photo Bakery Box. $49.95.
• Thinking of You Gift Tower. $28.95.
• Gourmet Nut Assortment Gift Tray. $48.95.
• Warm Wishes Wine Gift Basket. $109.95.
• Gourmand Gift Basket. $69.95.
• Deluxe Gourmet Brownie & Cookie Gift Basket. $99.95.

10 Thoughtful Passover Gifts to Bring to Seder Dinner

• of 10. Chocolate Macaroon Cookies. Manischewitz walmart.com.
• of 10. Geo Seder Plate.
• of 10. Matzo Recipe Book.
• of 10. Dried Fruit Medley.
• of 10. Wonderful Wishes Bouquet.
• of 10. Chambray Apron.
• of 10. Wine Aerator.
• of 10. Dark Chocolate with Toffee Matzah.

Kosher meat comes from animals that have split hooves — like cows, sheep, and goats — and chew their cud. When these types of animals eat, partially digested food (cud) returns from the stomach for them to chew again. Pigs, for example, have split hooves, but they don’t chew their cud. So pork isn’t kosher.

Fish is only considered kosher if it comes from an animal that has fins and scales, such as tuna, salmon, halibut, or mackerel. Water-dwelling creatures that don’t have these physical features are prohibited, such as shrimp, crab, oysters, lobster, and other types of shellfish.

Kosher slaughter, or shechita, is performed by a person known as a shochet, who has received special education and instruction in the requirements of shechita. The shochet kills the animal with a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a sharp knife.

In most slaughterhouses, shackle-and-hoist is illegal unless the animals are first rendered insensible to pain. While the most humane choice is always plant-based alternatives to slaughtered animals, most experts agree that kosher slaughter, when performed correctly, is at least as humane as pre-slaughter stunning.

Kosher rules Land animals must have cloven (split) hooves and must chew the cud, meaning that they must eat grass. Seafood must have fins and scales. Eating shellfish is not allowed. It is forbidden to eat birds of prey.

The main difference is that the kosher and halal traditions dislike the practice of stunning animals before they are cut, believing that the animal should be free from any injury at the moment of death.

Muslims use the Arabic word halal to describe food that is permissible. Both religious laws call for quick slaughtering techniques to cause the animal the least amount of pain. Kosher law prohibits mixing dairy and meat as well as the cooking, serving, and cleaning utensils used for them, but halal law does not.

For starters, kosher foods must come from a certified body (i.e. a Rabbi). When it comes to labeling, Kosher foods are either labeled meat (e.g., OU-Meat or an OU-Glatt symbol); dairy (e.g., OU-D); fish (e.g., OU-Fish); or Pareve (e.g., OU or OU-Pareve). Pareve means it contains neither meat nor dairy.

DOUBLE KITCHEN HELPS FAMILY KEEP FAITHFUL TO JEWISH DIETARY LAW. It is also kosher, with two ovens, two stovetops, two dishwashers and three sinks–the double kitchen facilitates cooking according to Jewish dietary laws, which require separating meat and dairy products.