Kosher vs Halal: what are the similarities and differences?
You might have encountered the terms 'Kosher' and 'Halal' when dealing with meat and dairy products, but only a few grasp their full meaning. Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, Professor of Religion at Wheaton College, explains that kosher laws stem from Biblical teachings emphasizing clean animals and strict meat-diary separation, while halal guidelines are less restrictive and focus on proper slaughter in God’s name. This comparison clarifies the distinct principles behind these dietary practices.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Certification processes differ, with kosher needing rabbinic supervision and Islamic oversight for halal.
- Both systems aim to uphold spiritual purity and religious values/principles in food consumption.
- The growing interest in healthy diets and environmental concerns has increased awareness of kosher and halal practices.
- Observing these rules helps maintain cultural identity and religious traditions.
Kosher vs Halal
Most religions have their dietary laws, and Muslims and Jews are no exception. The laws dictate which foods followers can eat and cannot eat. Kosher and Halal are the most common dietary laws that Jewish and Muslim faithful strictly adhere to. How does Kosher vs Halal compare? Find out their meanings, similarities, and differences.
What is Kosher?
Kosher originates from the Hebrew word Kashrut, which means fit or proper. It relates to food which conforms to Jewish dietary laws derived from the Torah.
What makes food Kosher? The laws indicate which foods are to be consumed and how they are prepared. Therefore, food cannot be Kosher if it is not prepared as stipulated by Kashrut.
Source: UGC
Kosher law prohibits the eating of certain animals. However, for permissible animals, there are guidelines on how they are killed and specific parts to be eaten. Kosher laws permit the following foods:
- Animals whose hooves are divided into two and chew cud. Such animals include cattle, sheep, goats, and deer. Prohibited animals are pigs, rabbits, dogs, camels, and cats.
- Domesticated birds, such as chicken, goose, duck, and turkey. Wild predatory birds such as vultures and falcons are prohibited.
- Fish with fins and scales, including tilapia, tuna, salmon, pike, and herring.
In Jewish, besides the permitted foods, how they are prepared determines whether they are Kosher. Here are slaughter guidelines for Kosher.
- The slaughterer, also called Schochet, must be Jewish having proper knowledge of Jewish laws.
- The slaughtering process must be quick. A sharp blade should be used with a single strike to kill the animal.
- Blood should be completely drained from the animal.
- Thorough inspection of the lungs to ensure the animal is healthy and fit for consumption.
What is Halal?
Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible. It refers to foods allowed for consumption per Islamic dietary laws from the Quran. On the contrary, foods that are disallowed by the laws are called Haram, which means unlawful.
Source: UGC
Like Kosher, the food preparation procedure also determines whether it is Halal. Muslims have set guidelines for slaughtering an animal called zabiha, which must strictly be followed to make the meat lawful or permissible for consumption. According to the Islamic dietary laws, the following foods are considered clean:
- Cattle
- Sheep
- Goat
- Camels
- All types of bucks
- Rabbit
- Fish
- Locust
Even if an animal is in the bracket of clean animals according to Islamic dietary laws, it may be considered not fit for consumption if specific procedures are not observed during slaughtering. Here are slaughter guidelines for Halal food.
- Whoever is slaughtering should be a Muslim.
- A specific prayer should be recited before the slaughter commence.
- A sharp knife should be used to minimize pain so that the animal dies fast and humanely.
- The animal’s throat is cut only once. Once the knife starts cutting, it must not be lifted before completion.
- The trachea, esophagus, and two jugular veins, or at least three, must be cut.
- Blood should be completely drained from the animal.
Kosher and Halal similarities
Even though Kosher and Halal are different religious dietary laws, they have a few things in common. Here are the similarities in both laws.
- They both require that an animal that qualifies to be eaten is killed quickly and humanely to minimize pain.
- They disallow the consumption of pork and any food or beverage with alcohol.
- They are certified by organizations. For instance, Halal foods are certified by the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America (HFSAA), while Kosher foods are approved by the Orthodox Union (OU).
Kosher and Halal differences
How are kosher and halal different? The main difference between Halal and Kosher is that they are dietary laws practiced by Islamic and Jewish religions, respectively. Other differences occur in the permissible foods and the food preparation process. Below is a Halal vs Kosher chart comparing the two dietary laws.
| Halal | Kosher | |
| Definition | Anything allowed to be eaten according to Islamic laws | Foods must conform to kashrut regulations |
| Derived from | Quran | Torah |
| Slaughterer | Killed by a Muslim. Non-Muslims may be allowed in some conditions. | Killed by Jews only |
| Prayer | Prayer to Allah before each slaughter | A blessing before and after each slaughter |
| Fruits and vegetables | Are Halal | Only Kosher is they have no bugs |
| Meat and dairy | Consumed together | Cannot be consumed together |
Basic rules of kosher and halal dietary laws
Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, Professor of Religion at Wheaton College, explains in an interview that the origins of kosher and halal laws are deeply rooted in biblical teachings.
He notes that in Kosher tradition, the Bible clearly distinguishes between clean animals (those with cloven hooves and chew their cud, like cows, goats, and sheep) and unclean ones (such as pigs and certain non-fish seafood like lobsters, shrimps, and crustaceans). Professor Jonathan explains further:
There are also biblical rules about mixing. The Bible says not to cook a kid in its mother's milk, leading to separating dairy and meat dishes. Another important thing in the Bible starts with the biblical rules about eating meat with blood. You're not supposed to have meat with blood in it.
Animals have to be killed in a certain way, in which the blood is removed, and typically, that involves cutting the jugular vein, and then nowadays, it involves a certain amount of salting of the meat.
Many other rules developed after the Bible about preparing foods, such as whether you can prepare meat and dairy foods together. Thus, rules were established about how to separate things, particularly regarding keeping milk and meat separate.
Rules developed about why you must cook them in separate utensils and serve them on individual dishes. You have to have a specific time interval between eating meat dishes, dairy dishes, and so on. A cheeseburger is not kosher, even if made with kosher meat.
In contrast, Professor Jonathan said halal rules permit a lot of seafood, however, also forbid pork but allow the mixing of dairy and meat, provided the animal is killed with the correct intention, marked by the recitation of Bismillah.
Certification and food preparation
Professor Jonathan emphasizes that both traditions depend on rigorous certification processes to ensure food complies with religious standards. In Judaism, he explains, “official organizations and rabbinic supervisors stamp food as kosher, although many prefer additional certification for reassurance.”
Meanwhile, the expert said halal food is certified by recognized Islamic agencies, often state-sponsored in countries like Malaysia. He elaborated:
If they buy their food in stores, they'll check to see if it is halal, especially if it's preserved, canned, or something similar. However, vegetables don't need to be certified like fresh produce. It's the same thing in kashrut (the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten) as well, except for the following exception.
There's a new, more stringent trend among some observers of kosher rules concerned about tiny bugs in lettuce, asparagus, and berries. Some people will certify that it's being inspected for bugs. But that's a more recent trend; it wasn't a concern for much of Kasrut's history for many years, but it is now more of a concern for some people.
Professor Jonathan said this oversight not only guarantees proper food preparation but also reinforces the spiritual and moral aspects of slaughtering practices, ensuring that every act of preparation is done with respect and intentionality. He said:
Kosher practices encourage those who observe them to be intentionally aware of who is preparing their food, and ensure that it is kosher: whether I will eat the meat cooked by this person, or certified by this person, whether I'll eat the beef sold at this store, or whether that has this kind of supervision.
I do know that one issue that often comes up for Muslims is paying attention to ingredients. You have to ask whether something is typical in many cultures where other animal fats like lard are used. You have to find out about that stuff that interests people. And it is part of a practical day-to-day thing.
Cultural identity and growing awareness beyond religious groups
Professor Jonathan also highlights how kosher and halal observances extend beyond food—it’s about cultural identity. He points to a broader interest in healthy diets, environmental concerns, and traditional wisdom when asked why more people outside of strictly religious circles are becoming aware of kosher and halal practices. The expert explains:
People are much more aware of what they eat. Sometimes, they look to older traditions to see if there is wisdom in Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Ayurvedic practices that will make us healthier or more aware and mindful. Environmental concerns affect people's diets. The increased interest in what we eat has probably made people more interested in traditional eating practices.
Many people are interested in expressing their distinctive identity, and everybody eats. Food historically has been a significant way in which people express who they are, what values they affirm, what groups they affiliate with, and what values they consider necessary to them. That's why there's interest in it. It is a compelling way to express who you are through your eating choices.
Diary rules, along with various food preferences and practices, play a vital role in preserving cultural traditions, particularly for individuals who have relocated or been displaced from their homelands.
When people immigrate from one country to another, their tastes are usually the last thing to go. And so a lot of people who might not even be religious in other ways might still want to shop at halal grocery stores or continue to cook dishes even if they're not consciously being halal but are still coming from their religious and ethnic tradition.
Can Muslims eat kosher?
Muslims can consume kosher products. However, not all kosher products are Halal, as those that contain alcohol are not permitted.
How is kosher meat killed?
Schochet, a Jewish butcher, kills the animal. He says a blessing before and after the slaughter. The slaughter is done continuously in a humane way to minimize pain. He ensures blood is wholly drained and inspects the animal’s lungs to confirm it is healthy.
Can meat be both Kosher and Halal?
How do Kosher and Halal meats differ? Muslims can eat Kosher meat, therefore making Kosher Halal. However, Jews cannot eat Halal meat because it is not Kosher.
What is the difference between Halal and Kosher slaughter methods?
Kosher vs Halal slaughter differences are in who kills and how the animal is killed. Halal meat can be killed by a Muslim or non-Muslim in certain conditions, while Kosher meat can only be killed by a Jew. While in Halal slaughter, a prayer is said to Allah before it begins, in Kosher slaughter, a blessing is said before and after the slaughter.
How do Kosher vs Halal compare? Despite the two coming from different religious dietary laws, they have been mistaken to mean almost the same thing. However, Halal is for Muslims, while Kosher is for Jews, and they have a few similarities and differences. While Muslims can eat certain Kosher foods, Jews cannot eat Halal foods because non-Jews prepare them.
Legit.ng recently published a list of intercontinental dishes in Nigeria. While some foods are considered local Nigerian dishes, they are favorite delicacies in other parts of the world. Therefore, with such foods, you will find your favorite foods if you travel to different countries.
Just like people share cultural practices, dishes have also been shared. It is nothing strange finding your favorite Nigerian dish on another continent. Find out which foods have gone beyond Nigerian borders and are embraced on different continents.
Source: Legit.ng
Muhunya Muhonji (Lifestyle writer) Muhunya is a graduate of Agricultural Economics from Egerton University, Class of 2014, with a passion for storytelling and content creation. Since joining Legit.ng as a writer in July 2021, he has covered diverse topics such as entertainment, technology, business, and biographies. His journalism journey has seen him complete multiple professional courses, including the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course (2023), the Google News Initiative course (March 2024), and Fact-Checking and Research training (September 2024). Email: muhunyah@gmail.com
Mary Ugbodaga (Lifestyle Journalist) Mary Ugbodaga is a Legit.ng journalist with 7 years of experience in journalism and media communications. She graduated from Covenant University in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies. Mary previously worked as a journalist at TheCable, CNBC AFRICA, Voice of Nigeria, KPMG Nigeria. Email: mary.ugbodaga@corp.legit.ng.
