A Less Well Known Kosher Rule: Mixing Meat and Fish

Although most Jewish people are familiar with the kashrut laws governing the mixing of milk and meat, less is known about the separation of meat and fish.

The key reason why we are not allowed to mix milk and meat is because of the requirement to show consideration and kindness to animals. For instance, it is deemed to be cruel to boil a kid in its mother’s milk. The rule about meat and fish is different however..

We are not supposed to eat meat and fish together on health rather than humanitarian grounds. Rabbis have cautioned us not to mix the two because they think that it is physically harmful to do so.

What does this mean for us?

Well for one thing it means that we have to think of what ingredients we use to prepare a meal. Using Worcestershire sauce to flavour beef for example, should be avoided since it contains anchovies.

Unlike the rules governing milk and meat, it is acceptable to eat fish immediately after meat (and vice versa) without waiting for a certain amount of time to elapse. However, we are advised to cleanse our palates before doing so by having a drink or eating a piece of bread.

This is possibly why some people drink a toast in a strong liquor such as whisky after eating gefilte fish on Shabbat.

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