Defining Dairy

In our house the term dairy can actually mean a couple of different things. When I say we are a "No dairy household" what I actually mean is no cow dairy. On occasion, we will gladly partake of a fine goat cheese, or sheep's milk, or even buffalo mozzarella. The makeup of cow dairy is different than other types of dairy. Additionally, there is a great deal of compelling information against the processing and homogenization of cow's milk. If we were to consider bringing cow dairy into our diets, there is no doubt it would be raw. For now, though, we plan to stick with a no dairy lifestyle.

There are many dietary laws related to keeping kosher, and each of these laws may be observed in different degrees in different homes and different sects of Judaism. With regard to dairy, we keep it pretty simple: no mixing of dairy and meat at the same time, or within three hours of one another. On the surface, this may just seem like all we have to do is rule out cheeseburgers and we are golden, but it is a little trickier than that. Additionally, the above definition of dairy pertaining only to cow dairy, is not in effect for this law, meaning, we do not mix any animal dairy with any animal meat.

Both of these dairy restriction require extensive understanding of food preparation and pre-packaged foods. Milk tries to sneak into the most surprising places, like crackers. Our rule of no cow dairy, makes keeping Kosher much simpler. For example, with the children, I can very easily make sure there are no snacks in the house containing dairy. On occasion, my husband may try to bring "treats" home, and may not always notice the dairy content. In cases like this, I will often allow the "treat" to be shared with the children, but it makes it very tricky to ensure those snacks are not mixed with meat.