Kosher Imitations

Imitations of non-kosher foods are quite popular nowadays. This includes foods such as "bacon bits,” “cheese burgers,” and “mock crab.” Nevertheless, many have questioned the permissibility, or at least the propriety, of eating foods that are made to look and taste like their non-kosher counterparts. This is true even though they are completely kosher in every other way.

The proper approach to this dilemma might just be in the Talmud. The Talmud[1] records that Yalta, the wife of Rav Nachman, declared that “for everything God has forbidden, there is a permissible substitute.” For example, although God has forbidden us to consume blood, we are permitted to eat the liver of kosher animals. The liver is saturated with blood and is said to resemble the taste of blood, as well. So too, God forbade us to eat certain fats of an animal, but permitted other, similar tasting fats. Although pork is forbidden, we may eat the shibuta fish, whose brain is said to resemble the taste of pork. Indeed, the shibuta fish was a common delicacy in Talmudic times.[2] Finally, although milk and meat mixtures are forbidden, we are permitted to eat the udder of a cow which is said to taste like a mixture of milk and meat.

Based on the above, it appears from the Talmud that one need not hesitate to eat foods that resemble non-kosher foods. Indeed, we are told that a person will be required to give an accounting to God for the permissible foods that one could have eaten but, for whatever reason, chose not to due to some unnecessary stringency.[3] In fact, one should never be embarrassed by an urge for forbidden foods or activities. Instead, one should take pride in abstaining from such things because one is a Jew who is loyal to God and the Torah. As Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya teaches, one should never say that one is repulsed by pork or that non-kosher foods taste terrible. Rather, one should train oneself to say, “I would love to eat these things, but I don’t because God commanded me not to.”[4] As such, when permitted alternatives to non-kosher food are available we should certainly partake of them.[5]

That being said, one must always ensure that one will never be suspected of eating non-kosher food. We are required to avoid situations of marit ayin, situations where onlookers may be led to believe that one is violating halacha.[6] For example, in ancient times one was required to place almonds on the table when one would drink or cook almond milk with meat so that onlookers would not think that one is using real milk.[7] Similarly, when non-dairy coffee creamer and pareve ice cream were first introduced, many halachic authorities ruled that when using these products at a meat meal, one was required to leave their packaging on the table in order to make others aware that they were indeed pareve.[8] Today, however, since such pareve alternatives have become so widespread, one is no longer required to publicize that the product one is using is pareve, as there is no reason to suspect otherwise.[9]

[1] Chullin 109.

[2] Shabbat 119a.

[3] Yerushalmi, Kiddushin 4:12; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 59:19.

[4] Sifra, Kedoshim 10; Rashi, Vayikra 20:26.

[5] Torat Kohanim, Vayikra 20:26; Sifra, Kedoshim 10.

[6] Igrot Moshe, OC 1:96, 4:82.

[7] Rema, YD 87:3; Shach, YD 87:6,7; Taz, YD 87:5.

[8] Yabia Omer 6:8; Yechave Da'at 3:59.

[9] Yabia Omer 6:8; Yechave Da'at 3:59.