The Complete Kosher Glossary

Kashrut is the body of Jewish dietary law derived from the Torah, defining which foods are permitted (kosher) and forbidden (treif), how animals must be slaughtered, and how meat and dairy must be kept separate.

Also: Kashruth, Kashrus

A hechsher is the symbol printed on a kosher product or displayed by a kosher establishment indicating which rabbinic agency has certified it as meeting kosher standards.

Also: Hechsherim, Kosher symbol

A mashgiach is a trained kosher supervisor who ensures that a restaurant, bakery, factory, or catering operation maintains kosher standards — checking ingredients, overseeing food preparation, and verifying every step of the process.

Also: Mashgichim, Kosher supervisor

Chametz is any leavened food made from the five grains — wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt — that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes without being baked; it is strictly forbidden during the eight days of Passover.

Also: Hametz, Leaven

Kosher for Passover products meet both regular kashrut standards AND the stricter Passover requirements — containing no chametz (leavened grain products) and, for Ashkenazim, no kitniyot (legumes, rice, corn).

Also: Kosher for Pesach, KP

OU Kosher is the certification from the Orthodox Union — the largest kosher certifying agency in the world, supervising over 1,000,000 products from 10,000+ companies in 100+ countries.

Also: Orthodox Union, OU certification

OK Kosher Certification is one of the 'Big Four' kosher certifying agencies in the United States, founded in 1935 and known for its global reach across 100+ countries.

Also: OK Kosher Certification, OK Labs

Star-K Kosher Certification is a major international kosher agency based in Baltimore, Maryland, known for rigorous standards, extensive rabbinic supervision, and pioneering work on Shabbat-compliant appliances.

Also: Star K Kosher, Star-K certification

Kof-K Kosher Supervision is one of the 'Big Four' US kosher certifying agencies, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, and known for its global reach and rigorous standards.

Also: Kof K Kosher, Kof-K certification

CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council) is the primary kosher certifying agency for the Chicago metropolitan area and supervises a wide range of restaurants, bakeries, and products throughout the Midwest.

Also: Chicago Rabbinical Council, cRc

RCC (Rabbinical Council of California) is the primary kosher certifying agency for the Los Angeles area and is the dominant kosher authority for restaurants and businesses in Southern California's Jewish communities.

Also: Rabbinical Council of California, RCC certification

Cholov Yisroel (literally 'Jewish milk') refers to dairy products produced from the moment of milking under the direct supervision of an observant Jew, ensuring no non-kosher milk could have been mixed in.

Also: Chalav Yisroel, Cholov Yisrael

Pas Yisroel (literally 'Jewish bread') is bread or baked goods where an observant Jew participated in the baking process — typically by lighting or adjusting the oven flame — elevating the product above standard kosher bread.

Also: Pat Yisroel, Pas Yisrael

Bishul Yisroel (literally 'Jewish cooking') is the halachic requirement that certain foods be cooked with Jewish participation — typically by turning on the flame — similar to the concept of pas yisroel for bread.

Also: Bishul Yisrael, Jewish-cooked food

Glatt kosher (Yiddish for 'smooth') refers to meat from animals whose lungs were found to be free of adhesions upon inspection — a stricter standard than baseline kosher meat.

Also: Glatt, Chalak

Yoshon (literally 'old') refers to grain that took root before the 16th of Nisan (Passover) of the previous year — permitted for consumption under a biblical prohibition that forbids new-season grain (chadash) until after the Omer offering.

Also: Yashan, Old grain

Mevushal wine is kosher wine that has been heated to a specific temperature, allowing it to retain its kosher status even when handled or poured by a non-Jew — useful for kosher restaurants, weddings, and events with non-Jewish staff.

Also: Yayin Mevushal, Cooked wine

Shechita is the Jewish method of ritual slaughter that renders an animal kosher — requiring a trained shochet to sever the trachea and esophagus with a single, swift cut using a perfectly smooth blade.

Also: Kosher slaughter, Ritual slaughter

Chalav Stam refers to ordinary kosher dairy from commercial US or other regulated markets — relying on government oversight to ensure no non-kosher milk is present — in contrast to the stricter cholov yisroel standard.

Also: Regular kosher dairy, Non-cholov yisroel

Pareve (also spelled parve) refers to kosher foods that are neither meat nor dairy — fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, grains, and most beverages — and can be eaten with either meat or dairy meals.

Also: Parve, Parev

Fleishig (Yiddish for 'meaty') refers to kosher foods containing meat or poultry — these cannot be eaten with dairy and require a waiting period before consuming dairy afterward.

Also: Fleishik, Basari

Milchig (Yiddish for 'dairy') refers to kosher foods containing milk or dairy products — these cannot be eaten with meat and require separate dishes, utensils, and equipment.

Also: Milchik, Chalavi

Treif (literally 'torn') refers to any food that is not kosher — including forbidden animals (pork, shellfish), improperly slaughtered meat, mixtures of meat and dairy, and foods without kosher supervision.

Also: Treyf, Tarfus

Kitniyot (literally 'small things') are legumes, rice, corn, and similar grains that Ashkenazi Jews traditionally avoid during Passover, though Sephardi Jews generally permit them.

Also: Kitnios, Legumes