What Animals Are Kosher?

Jewish dietary law provides specific criteria for determining which animals may be consumed. These laws, found in the Torah and elaborated in the Talmud, divide the animal kingdom into categories and establish clear markers for what is permitted (kosher) and what is forbidden (treif).

Land Animals

For a land animal to be kosher, it must possess two characteristics, as stated in Leviticus 11:3:

כֹּל מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע פְּרָסֹת מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה בַּבְּהֵמָה אֹתָהּ תֹּאכֵלוּ

Translation: Any animal that has split hooves and chews its cud—such you may eat.

Both Criteria Required

An animal must have BOTH split hooves AND chew its cud (be a ruminant). Having only one characteristic is insufficient. The Torah specifically mentions four animals that have only one sign: the camel, hyrax, and hare chew their cud but lack split hooves; the pig has split hooves but does not chew its cud.

Kosher Land Animals

Cattle (cows, bulls) • Sheep • Goats • Deer • Bison • Elk • Gazelle • Antelope • Giraffe (though rarely eaten due to practical difficulties)

Non-Kosher Land Animals

Pigs • Horses • Donkeys • Camels • Rabbits • Dogs • Cats • Bears • All carnivorous animals

Fish and Seafood

The Torah provides clear criteria for aquatic creatures in Leviticus 11:9:

אֶת זֶה תֹּאכְלוּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּיִם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת בַּמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וּבַנְּחָלִים אֹתָם תֹּאכֵלוּ

Translation: These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them you may eat.

Kosher Fish

Salmon • Tuna • Cod • Halibut • Tilapia • Carp • Trout • Sardines • Herring • Bass • Pike • Whitefish

Non-Kosher Seafood

Shrimp • Lobster • Crab • Oysters • Clams • Mussels • Squid • Octopus • Catfish (has fins but no scales) • Swordfish (debated) • Shark • Eel

Birds and Poultry

Unlike land animals and fish, the Torah does not provide identifying characteristics for kosher birds. Instead, it lists 24 species of forbidden birds (Leviticus 11:13-19), primarily birds of prey and scavengers.

Traditionally Accepted Kosher Birds

Chicken • Turkey • Duck • Goose • Cornish hen • Pheasant • Quail (domestic) • Dove • Pigeon

Non-Kosher Birds

Eagles • Hawks • Vultures • Owls • Ostriches • Storks • Herons • All birds of prey

Insects

Generally, all insects are forbidden. However, the Torah permits certain species of locusts with specific characteristics. Most Jewish communities today do not eat any insects due to difficulty in proper identification, though some Yemenite and Moroccan communities maintain traditions of eating specific locust species.

The Requirement of Shechita

Even kosher animals must be slaughtered according to Jewish law (shechita) by a trained slaughterer (shochet). The animal must be healthy, and the slaughter must be performed with a single swift cut using a perfectly sharp knife. Animals that die naturally or are killed by other means are not kosher.

Modern Applications

Today, kosher consumers rely on reliable certification agencies to verify that products meet these standards. The proliferation of kosher symbols on food packaging reflects the continued importance of these ancient laws in contemporary Jewish life.