Kosher standards, explained
The halacha, the practical leniencies people actually use, and the why behind each.
- Bishul Yisrael בישול ישראל — Certain cooked foods that a Jew must have a hand in cooking. A stricter standard some people look for.
- Chalav Yisrael חלב ישראל — Milk (and dairy made from it) produced under continuous Jewish supervision from the moment of milking — a stricter dairy standard some people prefer.
- Glatt חלק — Originally a higher standard for kosher beef (from animals whose lungs were smooth and defect-free). Today 'glatt' is also used loosely to mean 'extra-strict kosher,' especially for meat and restaurants.
- Kosher Wine (Mevushal & Stam Yeinam) סתם יינם — Grape wine and grape juice have their own kosher rules. 'Mevushal' (heated) kosher wine can be handled by anyone; regular kosher wine should be handled only by observant Jews once opened.
- Pat Yisrael פת ישראל — Bread and baked goods that a Jew helped bake — even just by lighting the oven. A stricter standard for breads that some people keep.
- Yoshon ישן — Foods made from grain that took root before a certain point in the year — a stricter grain standard that mostly affects flour-based foods.