Posted on 06/07/2008 7:36:51 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
A chance encounter in Israel between vets and a giraffe has led to a rabbinical ruling that the African animal is kosher.
According to a report in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, vets were asked to treat an adult, female giraffe at Israel's largest zoo, the Safari Park in Ramat Gan.
Giraffe meat and milk has been ruled acceptable for observant Jews
The team, led by Professor Zohar Amar, took a routine sample of milk and found that it clotted in the way required by Jewish law for kosher certification.
They submitted more milk for verification by the rabbinical authorities and the paper reported that a ruling was made that giraffe meat and milk are acceptable for observant Jews.
The giraffe belongs to the family of grazing animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, thereby making them consistent with kosher rules, but the milk test was the final confirmation.
"Indeed, the giraffe is kosher for eating," Rabbi Shlomo Mahfoud, who accompanied the researchers in their work, said.
"The giraffe has all the signs of a ritually pure animal, and the milk that forms curds strengthened that."
But Dr Yigal Horowitz, the zoo's chief vet, said this did not mean there would suddenly be a surge in demand of giraffe food products in Israel.
"This does not mean that tomorrow we are going to drink giraffe milk or eat soup made from giraffe necks," he said.
"After all, this is an animal in danger of extinction."
while pigs, rabbits, squirrels, bears, dogs, cats, camels and horses are not.
21 non-kosher bird species -- basically all predatory and scavenger birds
while catfish, sturgeon, swordfish, lobster, shellfish, crabs and all water mammals are not.
all reptiles, amphibians, worms and insects -- -- are not kosher.
Conversion easier now?
I remember when we use to sit around for hours debating whether camels were Kosher.
Yup, I use to have some very boring Saturday nights until I met my wife.
Getting kicked by a cow is one thing - getting kicked by a giraffe is quite another thing.
A giraffe hoof is capable of killing a lion, let alone a milk maid.
Too much text. You lost me at “Remember”. Looks like my conversion has ended in a blaze of laziness, which really is a nice change from the blaze of stupidity that ends most of my endeavors.
Now, that's funny; I don't care who you are!
Is it still Kosher if it jumps onto the grill?
LOL! You’re killing me over here!
You’re nuts! ROFLMAO!!!
It isn’t that easy to convert. Judaism is a culture as well as a religion, not just another religion.
Of all the religious practices, rituals and promulgations I find bizarre, this one is probably the winner.
Though with that neck, I'd hate to be the "shochate" (the one who ritually slaughters the animal).
Mark
Apparently giraffe tastes horrible. I don’t know this for a fact, but it is said they taste very bad and that is why lions don’t attack them very often and haven’t eaten them out of existence (they are be very easy prey for lions). As I understand it, they taste bad so they are only a food source of last resort for lions.
I could be wrong, though. I never ate one and don’t plan on it.
Good news! I for one would rather eat giraffe steak than a nasty ‘ol sea bug, any day. On land...insect, in the ocean...seafood? Noooo thanks
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.