What is kosher food meant for?

The Chief Rabbi Yeshaya Cohen said that in 14 years term that he stayed in Kazakhstan he faced many situations when he had to handle difficulties between state bodies and private entities on the provision of guests with kosher food. "Finally we reached resolution of these problems," said Yeshaya Cohen.

Aiymdos Boszhigitov, Director of foreign affairs ministry representative office in Almaty, said that the restaurant will become a new dialogue ground, which will promote the development of cultural, business and inter-religious contacts.

"Approximately 40 000 Jewish people live in Kazakhstan. There are 4 fully-functioning synagogues in the republic. And before the opening of the restaurant, our synagogues were the only places with true kosher food available to the public. Of course, the Kazakhstani Jewish community, concerned with the laws of Kashrus, will be the main customers of the restaurant," noted Boris Manoylenko, assistant of Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan.

"Nevertheless, people of all religions and nationalities recognize that kosher food is prepared according to strict rules, which observe sanitary and other norms and never compromise on quality," added Boris Manoylenko.

A number of participants said that the restaurant opening can be considered as the foundation of one more consulate of Israel to Kazakhstan, as far as it will be a place where Kazakhstani people and the guests of the country will have an opportunity to get acquainted with Jewish traditions and culture.

The absence of public kosher food in Kazakhstan created difficulties for people who arrived to the country for a long period of time. While Kazakhstani Jewish people have a chance to follow kosher nutrition in their homes, the guests of the country had to eat fresh vegetables, fruits and semi-prepared food brought with them from other countries where such food is commonly available. The opening of a new restaurant resolves the problems with nutrition for people of any nationalities who tend to eat only kosher food. Kosher restaurant will facilitate the stay of religious leaders in the country, who take part in the Congress of leaders of world and traditional religions every three years. The same conveniences will be presented to the tourists. The food cooked in the restaurant satisfies the demands to nutrition of any confessions.

The Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan awarded the restaurant with kosher diploma certified with stamp of the Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan. According to the rules, the certificate must always be in the restaurant at the visible place, as far as the absence of certificate can make the guests doubt if the food is kosher.

However, for many people living in Kazakhstan the word kosher is quite new. Not many people are acquainted with such kind of food. Meanwhile, Jewish people have always put great importance on food. According to Kashrus, cuisine tradition of Jewish people, the food is considered kosher, in case it is cooked in accordance with Kashrus, which describes which products can be eaten and how they should be cooked and kept.

The system of kosher food is ancient and well kept wise of Jewish people. The word Kashrus is translated from Jewish as suitable. The food can contain only ecologically clean and useful products. All the factors which can damage human health are carefully liquidated.

The laws of Kashrus contain dozens of points. The breakage of any point during the cooking process can make the food inedible for people following Kashrus. It is possible to describe complexity of the process if to consider the way of cooking of one of the most popular products-meat. Kosher animal must be ruminant and artiodactyls, for example, cows, goats, or sheep. In case an animal does not have both these signs, it is not kosher, like pigs, horses or camels.

The animal from which the meat is taken must have been slaughtered in accordance with prescribed Jewish ritual. Slaughter of kosher animal must be held by specially educated person, who must follow strict rules. Not all the parts of the animal are convenient for food. Further the meet must be treated in a special way and cooked on the base of a number of rules.

Every product, like meet, fish, vegetables, fruits and others can be initially kosher or not. The products can also stop being kosher in the process of cooking or storage. For example, meat dish will stop being kosher in case it is mixed with milk, or food coloring derived from a shellfish and used in a cake makes the cake non-kosher.

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