What is a kosher bakery?

Discover the world of kosher bakeries, including the Jewish laws they have to follow in order to be certified kosher and the many benefits (and delights!) of eating kosher.

The old school charm of a kosher bakery has suddenly become quite trendy. Kosher bakeries are traditionally intertwined with Jewish culture, religion and family life.

• Today, in addition to being a place to find ceremonious and celebratory baked goods for Jewish holidays, kosher bakeries are also a hot spot for foodies and the health conscious.
• A growing number of people are starting to look for kosher symbols on their food products—not just for religious reasons, but because they believe the food is safer and better for their health.
• For example, part of keeping kosher means not mixing meat and milk products. So kosher bakeries often offer a lot of dairy-free and meatless options—perfect for those on a vegetarian, vegan or lactose-free diet.

In Hebrew, kosher means “fit” or “proper.”

• When food is certified kosher it means it meets the dietary requirements of traditional Jewish law.
• The Jewish dietary laws are collectively known as the laws of kashrut and deal with which foods may be eaten together and how those foods are prepared.
• These laws have been used to guide the preparation of food for thousands of years.

A bakery may sell items usually associated with Jewish culture, such as bagels or matzah balls, but that is not enough to qualify as a kosher bakery.

• In order to be kosher, a bakery can only use ingredients that have been certified as kosher and can only use kosher cooking methods.
• Kosher bakeries are regularly inspected and supervised by a rabbi.
• Contrary to popular belief, rabbis do not bless food to make it kosher. Instead, a rabbi inspects the facilities to make sure they are up to kosher standards and that the ingredients used to make the food are kosher. A rabbi also examines how the food is prepared.

For example, a rabbi might check to see if a utensil came in contact with meat and dairy.

• According to kashrut law, dairy and meat products can’t be mixed together, so if a utensil were to come in contact with both, whatever that utensil touched could no longer be certified kosher.

Kosher bakeries are full of traditional breads like challah and rye, as well as delicious pastries, buns, cookies, danishes, cakes and other sweet treats.

• For festive holidays, you will also find seasonal treats such as babkas, rugelach and biscotti.
• Some kosher bakeries also offer grocery items, all certified kosher of course.

A kosher symbol can also be helpful for those with strict dietary requirements or allergies.

• Muslims and Seventh-day Adventists, who also follow strict diets, regularly buy kosher foods.
• Vegetarians and vegans buy many products labeled “pareve” because they contain no trace of milk or meat.

Ultimately, kosher products may help you know what is — and more importantly, what’s not — in your food.

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