Kosher Food List 2024
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Whether you are keeping kosher or preparing meals for someone else who follows a kosher diet, you’ll want to be sure to follow all dietary rules concerning food and its preparation. This kosher food list offers a brief glimpse into kosher food rules, as well as lists containing hundreds of kosher foods when combined.
Below you’ll find the useful kosher fish list with over 350 acceptable fishes included for your convenience.
Kashrut: Kosher Dietary Rules to Follow
When food has been prepared following Jewish law, it is considered to be pure or Kosher. The Kashrut, or dietary rules for keeping kosher, are described in the Torah, which is an excellent source of detailed information. Certain foods are excluded from the kosher diet. The list below provides some of the most common examples of Trief, or non-kosher foods to avoid.
You might also be interested in the Shepherd’s Diet food list.
Types Of Food To Avoid On Kosher
Scroll through this list and easily read which animals should not be eaten on kosher.
The only animals which may be eaten are cattle and others that have cloven (split) hooves and chew a cud.
Mammals
Certain animals are not eaten, nor is their milk. Common examples include:
- Pigs
- Camels
- Equines, e.g. donkeys, horses, mules, zebras, etc.
- Rabbits
Birds
Certain birds and fowl may not be eaten, nor may their eggs. Examples include:
- Owls
- Eagles
- Swans
- Pelicans
- Vultures
- Storks
- Any scavenging bird
Non-Kosher Seafood
Certain fish and sea-dwelling animals may not be eaten. Common examples include:
- Sharks
- Swordfish
- Shrimp
- Snails
- Crab
- Lobsters
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Calamari (Squid)
- Clams
- Oysters
- Lumpsuckers
- Sturgeons
- European turbot
- Marine mammals including whales, dolphins, and porpoises
Non-Butchered Animals
Animals, birds, and fish that have died on their own are not kosher, even if the species is on a kosher food list.
Insects & Rodents
Insects, rodents, amphibians, and reptiles are forbidden. Be sure to wash your produce well and inspect it to ensure no insects are clinging to it.
Hybrid Plants
No hybrid plants may be consumed, and fruits from trees that were planted within the last three years is off-limits as well. Grape products, including wine, must be sourced from kosher wineries, which are operated under rabbinical supervision. Whole grapes from non-Jewish sources are acceptable.
How To Know If Something Is Kosher
If you’re not sure about an item, double-check with your rabbi or another trustworthy source to determine whether the food is kosher or not. Many foods that appear to be kosher may have traces of non-kosher milk or may contain meat derivatives from non-kosher animals. Cheeses are a good example, as many hard varieties are made with rennet, which is an animal derivative. The inclusion of rennet automatically breaks the kosher dietary rule stating that meat and milk may not be combined.
Finally, note that for meats to be kosher, the animals and birds that they come from must be killed at a Kosher slaughterhouse, in accordance with Jewish law. Most kosher butchers take care of blood removal via soaking and salting processes, and they also remove the chelev, a type of non-kosher fat that surrounds the liver and other vital organs.
Kosher Food List
There are thousands of kosher foods and products from which to choose. Double-check packaged foods and beverages to see if they are marked with a hekhsher (kosher mark). If they are not, then carefully scrutinize the ingredients list to see whether milk or meat byproducts are listed, unless they are included in the list of products not requiring kosher certification. Note that different kosher supervising agencies abide by different guidelines.
Your Rabbi will be able to tell you which is most reliable for your kosher dietary practices.
- Mammals that walk on four legs, chew a cud, and have split (cloven) hooves:
- Antelope
- Big horn sheep
- Blackbuck
- Black tail deer
- Buffalo
- Caribou
- Cow, all varieties
- Elk
- Goat, all varieties
- Impala
- Moose
- Mountain goat
- Mule deer
- Musk ox
- Sheep, all varieties
- Venison
- White Tail Deer
- Wildebeest
- Yak
- Fish with fins and scales are considered to be kosher, either from fresh or saltwater sources. Note that prepared fish with breading might or might not meet requirements; you’ll want to look for a hekhsher to ensure that they are acceptable, even if they are included in the following list of kosher fish:
- Aawa
- Albacore
- Alewife
- Amaamas
- Amberjack
- American Plaice
- Anchovies
- Atkamackerel
- Atlantic salmon
- Atlantic pomfret
- Arctic char
- Atlantic herring
- Awa
- Aweoweos
- Balao
- Ballyhoo
- Barbu
- Barracuda
- Bass
- Bergall
- Bermuda chug
- Bigeye
- Bigmouth sleeper goby
- Bigmouth sole
- Blackback
- Black bonito
- Black cod
- Black croaker
- Blackfish
- Black margate
- Black perch
- Black sea bass
- Blacksmith
- Blueback
- Blueback salmon
- Blue bobo
- Blue cod
- Bluefish
- Bluegill
- Blue pike
- Blue runner
- Blue whiting
- Bocaccio
- Bombay duck
- Bonefish
- Bonito
- Bream
- Brill
- Brook trout
- Brown trout
- Buffalo fishes
- Butterfish
- Butter sole
- Cabio
- Cabrilla
- Calico bass
- California grunion
- California halibut
- California scorpionfish
- California redfish
- California sheephead
- Capelin
- Capitaine
- Carpsucker
- Caviar, so long as it comes from a kosher fish
- Cero
- Channel bass
- Channel rockfish
- Char
- Chilipepper
- Chinook salmon
- Chogset
- Chum salmon
- Chup
- Cigarfish
- Cichlios
- Cisco
- Coalfish
- Cobia
- Cod
- Coho salmon
- Coho trout
- Common snook
- Corbina
- Corvina
- Cottonwick
- Crappie
- Crevalles
- Creville
- Croaker
- Crucian carp
- Cubbyu
- Cunner
- Curlfin turbot, aka Curlfin sole
- Cutthroat trout
- Dab
- Dajaos
- Diamond turbot
- Doctorfish
- Dog salmon
- Dolly Varden
- Dover sole
- English sole
- Eulachon
- European Plaice
- Fall salmon
- Fantail sole
- Fluke
- Flying fishes
- Freshwater bass
- Freshwater drum
- Frostfishes
- Gag
- Garibaldi
- Gerres
- Giant California sea bass
- Giant kelpfish
- Gizzard shad
- Goatfishes
- Golden trout
- Goldeye
- Goldfish
- Grayling
- Graysby
- Greenland turbot, aka Greenland halibut
- Greenlings
- Grindle
- Grouper
- Grunion
- Grunts
- Guavina
- Haddock
- Hakes
- Halfbeaks
- Halfmoon
- Halibut
- Hamlet
- Hardhead
- Harvestfishes
- Hawkfish
- Herring
- Hickory shad
- Hogchoker
- Horse mackerel
- Humpback salmon
- Jack mackerel
- Jacksmelt
- Jewfish
- John Dory
- Kala
- Kalikali
- Kelp bass
- Kelpfish
- Kelp greenling
- King croaker
- Kingfishes
- King mackerel
- King salmon
- King whiting
- Kumu
- Lae
- Ladyfish
- Lafayette
- Lake herring
- Lake trout
- Lance
- Launce
- Largemouth bass
- Leatherback
- Lemon sole
- Lined sole
- Lingcod
- Lizardfishes
- Lookdown
- Mackerel
- Mahi-mahi
- Margate
- Marine gar
- Menhaden
- Menpachii
- Merluccio
- Milkfish
- Moi
- Mojarras
- Monkeyface prickleback
- Mooneye
- Moonfish
- Mossbunker
- Mountain mullet
- Mouthbrooder
- Mozambique mouthbrooder
- Mullet
- Muskellunge
- Mutton hamlet
- Muttonfish
- Mutton snapper
- Needlefish
- Nohus
- Ocean perch
- Ocean whitefish
- Onaga
- Opakapaka
- Opaleye
- Pacific cod
- Pacific herring
- Pacific Ocean perch
- Pacific pompano
- Pacific salmon
- Pacific turbot
- Palometta
- Parrotfishes
- Perch
- Permit
- Petrale sole
- Pickerel
- Pigfish
- Pike perch
- Pile perch
- Pilchard
- Pinfish
- Pink salmon
- Pollock
- Pomfret
- Pompano
- Porgies
- Porkfish
- Poutassou
- Queenfish
- Quillback
- Rabalo
- Rainbow runner
- Rainbow trout
- Ray’s bream
- Rock sole
- Red drum
- Redeye
- Redfish
- Red hind
- Red mullet
- Red salmon
- Red snapper
- Rex sole
- Ribbon fish
- Rio Grande perch
- River Herring
- Roach
- Rock bass
- Rockhind
- Rockfish
- Rosefish
- Rudderfish
- Runner
- Sablefish
- Sailors choice
- Saithe
- Salmon
- Sand bass
- Sanddabs
- Sand eels
- Sand lances
- Sand launces
- Sand sole
- Sardines
- Sargo
- Sauger
- Sauget
- Scad
- Scalyfin sole
- Scamp
- Schoolmaster
- Scorpionfish
- Sculpin
- Scup
- Seabass
- Sea bream
- Sea chub
- Sea perch
- Searobin
- Seatrout
- Shad
- Sheepshead
- Shiner perch
- Shortspine thornyhead
- Sierra
- Silver hake
- Silver perch
- Silver salmon
- Silversides
- Sirajo goby
- Skipjack
- Skipjack tuna
- Sleeper
- Slender sole
- Smallmouth bass
- Smelt
- Snapper
- Snapper blue
- Sockeye salmon
- Sole
- Spadefish
- Spanish mackerel
- Spearing
- Speckled hind
- Splittail
- Spot
- Spotted bass
- Spotted cabrilla
- Spotfin croaker
- Sprat
- Spring salmon
- Squawfish
- Squirrelfish
- Starry flounder
- Striped bass
- Sucker
- Summer flounder
- Sunfish
- Surfperch
- Surgeonfish
- Surmullets
- Tang
- Tarpon
- Tautog
- Tench
- Tenpounder
- Threadfins
- Thread herring
- Tilapia
- Tilefish
- Tomcod
- Tomtate
- Topsmelt
- Tripletail
- Trout
- True sole
- Tuna, all scaled varieties
- Uhu
- Unicorn fish
- Uouoa
- Walleye
- Walleye pollock
- Warmouth
- Weakfish
- Wekes
- Whitebait
- White bass
- White croaker
- White perch
- Whiting
- Winter flounder
- Yellow bass
- Yellow pike
- Yellow perch
- Yellowfin croaker
- Yellowtail flounder
- Yellowtail snapper
- Fruit – When it is completely natural, fresh, and unprocessed, most fruit is kosher. Note that fruit which has been cut – particularly fresh fruit sold at supermarkets – is probably not kosher since equipment may have been exposed to meat and dairy products. Be sure to check fruit for insects before eating it, even after it has been washed. If you are purchasing frozen or canned fruit, be sure that a kosher mark is present. Kosher fruit examples include:
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Grapefruits
- Honeydew melon
- Lemons
- Limes
- Mangoes
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Vegetables – When fresh, unprocessed, and without additives such as cheese sauce, most vegetables are kosher. Note that vegetables which have been cut up and sold fresh at supermarkets are probably not kosher, since knives and other equipment used in this type of processing may have been exposed to meat and dairy products. Be sure to check vegetables for insects before cooking or enjoying raw, even after washing. Be particularly vigilant with items like lettuce and celery, which have tiny nooks where insects hide. If you are buying frozen or canned vegetables, even without sauce, double-check for a hekhsher or read the list of ingredients. Good kosher vegetable examples include:
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Beets
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Endive
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Summer squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Winter squash
- Yams
- Zucchini
- Grains – So long as they are fresh and unprocessed, grains are kosher. Be wary of prepared grains and those sold with flavorings. While convenient, these items often contain meat and dairy; look for a hekhsher to determine which grain products are kosher and which are not. Some good grains to include in your diet:
- Nuts and Seeds – Since nuts and seeds come from plants and trees, they are kosher! The more natural a product is, the more likely it is to be kosher; nuts and seeds containing flavorings often hide additives that come from meat and dairy sources, or may be prepared on equipment that is shared with other non-kosher foods. Raw nuts (shelled and unshelled varieties) and raw seeds are kosher without certification. Prepared nuts and seeds to require hekhshers. Some good choices include:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Cashews
- Chestnuts
- Chia seeds
- Coconut
- Hazelnuts
- Peanuts
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios, shelled – Natural color only; avoid the pink and red variety as this coloring is often sourced from insects.
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Squash seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
- Prepared foods – Many prepared foods are kosher, but it’s very important to look for a hekhsher when making your choices since processing procedures, the mixing of dairy and meat-based ingredients, the use of non-kosher equipment, and other variables can render packaged, processed, and prepared foods non-kosher. The good news is that there are are tens of thousands of items to choose from, making it very easy to enjoy a delicious, varied diet. Categories to shop in include:
- Baking ingredients – Single ingredients such as flour, sugar, and baking soda are kosher; refer to the list of foods and spices that do not require kosher certification for more information. Multi-ingredient items such as chocolate chips should have a hekhsher.
- Baking mixes – Many baking mixes are acceptable, but some contain non-kosher additives. Check for a kosher mark and read ingredients if none is present.
- Bread and baked goods – Many commercially prepared breads and baked goods are acceptable, but some do contain additives that render them non-kosher. Check for a hekhsher and read ingredients if no kosher mark is present.
- Candy – Double-check, avoid “gummy” candies unless a hekhsher is present; these may contain gelatin from non-kosher animals
- Condiments – Condiments can be tricky since many contain additives or combine meat and milk ingredients. Ensure that a kosher mark is present.
- Dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.
- Fish – Fresh, smoked and frozen fish from the kosher fish list
- Fruit – Fresh, canned, and frozen
- Gluten-Free products – Like other processed foods, these may or may not be kosher. Look for hekhshers to be sure, or double-check ingredients.
- Meat – Fresh and frozen meats from the kosher meat list
- Nuts – Non-processed, non-flavored varieties are kosher; play it safe by choosing nuts still in their shells. Processed, flavored nuts are kosher when hekhsher is present
- Oils – Liquid oils are typically kosher
- Pasta – Fresh and dried varieties; double check for hekhsher
- Pasta sauces (Be extra careful; some varieties include both meat and cheese ingredients)
- Snacks – All types; ensure hekhsher is present
- Vegan – Since foods that are certified vegan are prepared without meat or milk products, they are typically kosher.
- Vegetarian – Some vegetarian foods contain cheese, however most vegetarians do not eat cheese that contains rennet. Double-check for a hekhsher if you are in doubt.
- Vegetables – Fresh, canned, and frozen
- Wine, beer, and liquor – Check for a hekhsher and refer to the list of kosher beverages below for more details.
- Beverages – Some beverages are acceptable without kosher certification; others are acceptable only with certification as they may contain grape juice or flavoring, or as they may contain dairy. The following list of kosher beverages is a useful general guide, however with thousands of drinks to choose from, it is important to scrutinize ingredients carefully in the absence of a hekhsher.
Note that some spirits are aged in wine or sherry casks. These must be kosher certified to be acceptable. Watchwords include “sherry, port, madeira, oloroso, sauterne, shiraz” as well as “double matured” and “dual cask finished.”[1]
- Almond milk – Most varieties are kosher, and most carry certification
- American whisky – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Beer – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Brandy – Certification required
- Bourbon – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Bottled coffee – Certification required
- Bottled tea – Certification required
- Bottled water – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Canadian whisky – Certification required
- Canned coffee-based beverages – Certification required
- Canned tea beverages – Certification required
- Cashew milk – Most varieties are kosher, and most carry certification
- Cocktail mixes – Certification required
- Coconut milk – Most varieties are kosher
- Cognac – Certification required
- Cordials – Certification required
- Drink mix powders – Certification required
- Energy drinks – Certification required
- Fountain drinks – Certification required; ensure that dispenser uses the brand listed on labels and not a substitute
- Fruit juices – Certification required
- Gin – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Grappa – Certification required
- Hard cider – Certification required
- Hard tea – Certification required
- Irish whisky – Unflavored varieties do not require certification.
- Malt beverages – Certification required
- Mead – Certification required
- Mixers – Certification required
- Ouzo – Certification required
- Root beer – Certification required
- Rum – Unflavored, non-spiced varieties do not require certification
- Rye whisky – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Sake – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Scotch – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Soft drinks – Certification required
- Sloe gin – Requires certification
- Soy milk – Most varieties are kosher, and most carry certification
- Tennessee whisky – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Tequila – Unflavored varieties do not require certification. *Note that varieties containing a worm are not acceptable.
- Vermouth, sweetened or flavored varieties – Certification required
- Vitamin water – Certification required
- Vodka – Unflavored varieties do not require certification
- Foods and spices that do not require kosher certification:
- Allspice
- Anise
- Applesauce, unflavored varieties
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Beets, raw or canned unflavored varieties
- Black pepper
- Bran, unprocessed
- Buckwheat, raw/whole-grain variety
- Canned bamboo, not sourced from China
- Caraway
- Cardamom
- Carob powder
- Chilii peppers
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Cocoa powder, unflavored/plain varieties (not hot cocoa mix)
- Coffee, unflavored varieties
- Corn meal
- Corn starch
- Couscous, unflavored varieties
- Cream of tartar
- Cumin
- Dill
- Dried beans, all plain/ unflavored varieties without flavor packets, etc.
- Eggs, plain, should be checked for blood before adding to a recipe or cooking pan
- Farina, plain/unflavored varieties
- Fennel
- Fenugreek
- Flour, plain/unflavored varieties
- Fresh fruit, only uncut varieties
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Guar gum
- Grains, uncooked and without any added flavoring
- Honey, unflavored, and not sourced from China
- Lemongrass
- Lemon juice
- Mace
- Maple syrup, varieties from Vermont and Canada
- Marjoram
- Milk, unflavored – unsweetened varieties
- Molasses
- Mustard powder
- Mustard seed
- Nutmeg
- Nuts, unflavored varieties with no added oils
- Oats and oatmeal, uncooked with no added sweeteners or flavors
- Onion (raw or dried varieties only; toasted or roasted varieties do require kosher certification)
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Peppercorns, all colors
- Pepper
- Popcorn, plain kernels only
- Raisins, no added oil or added flavorings
- Rice, uncooked and with no added oils or flavorings
- Rosemary
- Saffron
- Sage
- Salt
- Savory
- Seltzer, unflavored / unsweetened varieties
- Sesame seeds, white & black varieties, raw only (roasted or toasted varieties require kosher certification)
- Sugar
- Sumac
- Tarragon
- Tea, unflavored varieties only; flavored varieties should have kosher certification)
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- Vegetables, raw, uncut varieties; be sure to check for insects
- Water, plain, unflavored varieties
- White pepper
What if you can’t find items from the kosher food list locally? Several kosher food producers are offering their wares online, and with basic ingredients, it is possible to make your own versions of common packaged foods such as veggie pizza in the comfort of your own kosher kitchen.
Sources
These are the sources we used when making this kosher food list.
