Are Insects Ever Kosher?

In an age of interest in sustainable protein sources, the question of kosher insects has gained new relevance. While most people assume all insects are forbidden by Jewish law, the Torah actually permits certain species—though identifying and consuming them today is far more complicated than it might seem.

The Biblical Text

The Torah addresses insects in Leviticus 11:20-23:

כֹּל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף הַהֹלֵךְ עַל אַרְבַּע שֶׁקֶץ הוּא לָכֶם. אַךְ אֶת זֶה תֹּאכְלוּ מִכֹּל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף הַהֹלֵךְ עַל אַרְבַּע אֲשֶׁר לוֹ כְרָעַיִם מִמַּעַל לְרַגְלָיו לְנַתֵּר בָּהֵן עַל הָאָרֶץ

Translation: All winged swarming things that go upon all fours are a detestable thing to you. Yet these you may eat of all winged swarming things that go upon all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap upon the earth.

The Torah then lists four types of permitted locusts: the arbeh, sal'am, chargol, and chagav.

The Identification Problem

While the Torah clearly permits certain locusts, a significant problem has developed over the centuries: most Jewish communities lost the tradition of identifying which specific locusts are kosher.

However, the rabbis emphasized that one cannot rely on these signs alone without a reliable tradition (mesorah) identifying the specific species.

Communities With Preserved Traditions

Yemenite Jews

(Schistocerca gregaria) as the kosher variety their ancestors ate for generations.

Moroccan Jews

Some North African communities, particularly from Morocco, also preserved traditions regarding kosher locusts, though these traditions have become less common with migration to Israel and other countries.

The Ashkenazi Position

Ashkenazi Jews (those of European descent) completely lost any tradition of eating locusts. Without a mesorah, they refrain from eating any insects whatsoever, even those that might technically meet the Torah's criteria.

This stringency has become standard practice for most Orthodox Ashkenazi communities, extending to a prohibition on all insects without exception.

Modern Implications

Checking Produce

The prohibition against eating insects means that Orthodox Jews carefully check fruits and vegetables for infestation. Leafy greens, broccoli, strawberries, and certain dried fruits require thorough inspection or special preparation.

Insect-Based Products

Products derived from insects present interesting questions. Honey is permitted because it is considered a processed plant product that the bee merely transports and processes. However, carmine (red food coloring from cochineal insects) is generally not used in kosher products.

The Sustainability Question

While insects are promoted as sustainable protein sources, this remains unavailable to most kosher consumers. Those Yemenite and Sephardic Jews with preserved traditions may consume their traditional locust species, but mainstream kosher certification does not extend to insect-based foods.

The laws of kosher insects demonstrate how Jewish law balances textual interpretation with living tradition, sometimes leading to the fascinating situation where technically permitted foods become practically prohibited through loss of identifying knowledge.