It is impossible to fit all the laws of kashrut into the framework of a small text, but we can try to highlight several basic principles of kosher nutrition:
1. Some animals are prohibited for consumption (including their meat, internal organs, eggs and milk).
2. Animals that are allowed to be eaten must be slaughtered in a special way, called shechita.
3. Blood (except fish) is strictly prohibited for use in food. It should all be removed from the meat (by salting, soaking, etc.) before cooking and consuming.
4. Meat and dairy products should not be mixed or used together.
5. Dishes used for meat products should not be used for dairy products, and vice versa. Dishes used for non-kosher products are prohibited.
6. Fruits and vegetables are allowed for food, but should not contain insects and be spoiled.
7. Grape products (juice, wine, cognac) made without observing certain rules are prohibited for consumption.

Kosher food must be made from kosher products in a strictly defined way and only by Jews. All products that do not correspond to the concept of "kosher" are prohibited and harmful to the physical and spiritual health of a person. According to this, the purpose of the laws of Kashrut is to:
• reduce to a minimum the number of animals that can be killed;
• perform the killing of animals in the most painless way;
• cultivate a disgust for the shedding of blood.

Cruelty to animals is clearly prohibited by the Torah. Therefore, hunting for entertainment is also prohibited. It is necessary to kill animals only for food (it is also possible for medical research, etc.). Shechita (slaughter of livestock according to the Torah) is one of the most humane methods of killing an animal. According to the laws of Kashrut, any injured animal is no longer kosher. Thus, animals should be killed quickly with a single blow of a knife to reduce the pain to a minimum. The knife used by shochet (slaughterer) must be sharp. The animal loses consciousness in a split second. And finally, according to experts of the Torah, the purpose of the laws of Kashrut is that through eating Jews strive for holiness, so that such qualities as self-discipline and the ability to self-restraint are instilled.

Kosher products that match the description of the Torah:

• Meat - beef, lamb, goat meat. It is possible to eat the meat of those animals that are artiodactyls and ruminants. Rodents (hares, rabbits, etc.) are not kosher. The slaughter of animals should occur in a special way. It is performed only by shochet (slaughterer). To remove the blood, the meat is soaked in water and sprinkled with salt, which absorbs the last drops of blood.
• Poultry - chicken, duck, geese, quails, turkey. It is forbidden to eat the meat of birds of prey and carrion birds.
• The eggs of kosher birds only are considered kosher.
• Fish - only those that have scales and fins. Red caviar is considered kosher, but black caviar is not included in this list. Eel, catfish, shark, sturgeon are not considered kosher - just like shellfish and crustaceans.
• It is possible to drink milk of kosher animals only. Another important aspect: according to the Torah, different dishes are used for cooking meat and cooking dairy products (even a different stove), meat and dairy products are stored separately (on different shelves in the refrigerator) and you can consume milk after meat only after 6 hours, but meat after milk can be consumed after 30 minutes (if we are not talking about granular cheeses, there the time is kept longer).
• Insects are prohibited. Only honey, the product of bees' vital activity, is an exception and is considered kosher. Housewives check cereals, greens and vegetables very carefully because of the ban on all types of insects.
• With regard to alcohol, the Torah prescriptions are very strict: wine must be made only by Jews.

Thus, one of the most important principles of kashrut is: "What comes from the pure is pure, and what comes from the impure is impure." It follows from this that you can not drink the milk of an impure animal, eat the eggs of an impure bird, eat the caviar of an impure fish. The only exception from this rule is honey.

The Torah says (Leviticus 11:3): "Whatever has a split hoof... and chews the cud, among the animals — that you may eat." Thus, there are two criteria for an animal to be kosher: it must both chew the cud and have split hooves. An animal is only kosher if it meets both conditions. The Torah specifically mentions four animals that meet only one of these criteria to emphasize that they are not permitted for consumption: the pig, camel, hyrax, and hare.
Most kosher animals are domesticated, but there are also wild animals that are permitted. They may be trapped, but hunting them is forbidden, as kosher slaughter (shechita) must be performed.
There are wild animals, such as the giraffe, that meet the kosher criteria, but are not eaten due to the lack of a tradition regarding their kosher slaughter.
Even if an animal is technically kosher and properly slaughtered, it may still be forbidden if it is found to be diseased during the internal inspection.
Examples of kosher animals: cow, sheep, goat, deer, elk, gazelle.

The Torah does not provide signs for kosher birds, only a list of non-kosher species — such as the eagle, owl, and pelican. Most of the forbidden birds are predators or scavengers.
Since we can’t reliably identify all of the birds listed in the Torah today, only birds with a known tradition of kosher status are consumed — including chicken, turkey, quail, duck, goose, and dove.
Halacha provides a sign for kosher eggs: they must come from kosher birds. A common (but not sufficient) sign is that one end of the egg is pointed and the other rounded. Eggs with both ends pointed or both ends rounded (usually from predatory or scavenger birds) are not kosher.
Because blood is strictly forbidden, eggs containing a blood spot in the yolk are considered treif (non-kosher). If the blood is in the egg white, it may be removed and the egg used.

Fish and seafood: Only fish that have both fins and scales are kosher. Examples include: salmon, tuna, cod, mackerel, pike, flounder, carp, herring. Fish like catfish, shark, sturgeon, beluga, swordfish, lamprey, as well as shellfish, lobsters, crabs, shrimp, and similar sea creatures are not kosher.

Reptiles, amphibians, worms, insects, and all creeping creatures are strictly forbidden on our table. (That’s why vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms must be thoroughly inspected!)
Among all sea and freshwater creatures, only those fish that have both fins and scales are permitted. Therefore, sturgeon (and its caviar), shrimp, crabs, lobsters, squid, whale meat, and similar seafood are forbidden for Jews.
The Torah lists 20 species of birds that are forbidden. Since we can’t reliably identify all of them today, tradition limits us to birds whose kosher status is beyond doubt: chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and doves. (Eggs of non-kosher birds are also forbidden.)
Among mammals, only those with split hooves and that chew the cud are permitted — such as goats, sheep, deer, and cows. Forbidden meats include pork, rabbit, bear, horse, and so on. (Milk from non-kosher animals is also forbidden.)

An animal or bird permitted for consumption may only be eaten if slaughtered by an experienced shochet (ritual slaughterer) in full accordance with all details of Jewish law. Non-kosher parts must be removed, and the meat must be soaked and salted or roasted over an open flame.

The Torah forbids mixing meat and dairy products at all stages of food preparation. For this reason, a traditional Jewish home uses two separate sets of dishes: one for meat and one for dairy.

Time can also be a factor that renders food non-kosher. For example, chametz (leavened food) not destroyed before Passover, or food cooked on Shabbat, is considered non-kosher.

Almost every religious Jew has heard the question: "Do you really think G‑d cares about what we eat?" But behind this lies a deeper question: "Do you really think G‑d cares about us at all?" Many famous philosophers, from Aristotle to Hegel, believed that G‑d may care about the universe as a whole, but not about its individual parts — including humans.
However, the G‑d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob cares about every individual. As it is written in Psalms: “His mercy is upon all His creations.” For us, He is our Heavenly Father — and just as a father must care for a child’s moral and spiritual upbringing, he must also care about what the child eats. These things are connected.
We do not mean to say that the laws of kashrut are merely about food hygiene, although such claims have been made. It is hard to prove that keeping kosher improves health, but the Torah — divine wisdom and eternal truth — teaches us that food affects not just the body but the soul, shaping the purity and spiritual health of a Jew.
Those who have mastered the interpretation of mitzvot (commandments) have offered various explanations for the structure of kashrut. Some highlight the discipline it instills, and they are right — Torah trains a person in self-control. Others emphasize the educational aspects: Kashrut leads us to think about the value of animals and plants, encourages respect for G‑d’s creations, and fosters humility.
Some focus on the societal impact, asserting that kosher laws have preserved Jewish identity and protected against assimilation. Indeed, keeping kosher is part of living as a Jew — it defines a unique lifestyle and keeps the Jewish people distinct.
The Talmud adds another layer: the Torah refers to forbidden foods as “tamei” (impure), and the sages note its similarity to the word “timtum” — blockage. Forbidden food, they say, blocks the heart, dulling one’s spiritual sensitivity. Modern medicine also recognizes the mind-body connection, and the idea that food impacts our soul is no longer dismissed as mystical.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, a great modern Torah commentator, explains that observance of mitzvot — including kashrut — is what enables the Jewish people to fulfill their spiritual mission with resilience, creativity, and love for G‑d.