Meat and the Torah

• The Torah states that believers can only eat animals that chew their cuds and have cloven hooves, which includes cattle, sheep, goats and deer, but excludes rabbits and pigs. Therefore, food products that come from a pig -- such as pork, ham and bacon -- are not kosher and cannot be consumed.
  
  Restrictions are also placed on fish and poultry. Only sea creatures with scales and fins may be eaten, so shellfish such as shrimp and lobster are excluded. Birds of prey are also forbidden, but chicken, turkey and duck are acceptable.
  
  

Meat and Dairy

• In addition to restricting certain meats, the Torah prohibits consuming meat and dairy at the same time, so kosher families must go to great lengths to keep these items separate. Families must use different sets of pots, pans, utensils and dishware to prepare meats and dairy, and they must also wash meat dishware and dairy dishware in separate dishwasher cycles. When a kosher individual has eaten meat, he must wait several hours before consuming dairy, as meat particles may linger in the mouth after a meal.
  
  

Cleaning Food

• Jewish families must meticulously wash foods before serving and eating. Fruits and vegetables are kosher, but insects that can inhabit them are not, so produce needs to be scrubbed clean, rinsed and inspected for bugs before eating. Meats must be cleaned and drained of blood before cooking, as the Torah prohibits consuming blood -- the life spirit of the animal. Most of the blood is removed at slaughter, and the rest can be eliminated through salting and soaking the meat or by broiling it.
  
  

Grape Products

• All grape products need to be prepared under kosher supervision, so grape products made by non-Jews can't be used, which includes wine and liqueurs as well as jams, jellies and natural and artificial grape flavorings. However, this restriction doesn't extend to whole grapes. The rule about grape products stems from the law against using products of idolatry; since wine was used in ancient religions, grape products must be processed under Rabbinic supervision to be considered kosher.