What Is The Difference Between Kosher And Kosher For Passover?
Kosher refers to food that is prepared and consumed according to Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut. These laws dictate what foods are allowed and how they must be prepared and consumed.
For example, kosher meat must come from certain animals that are slaughtered in a specific way, and dairy and meat products cannot be mixed.
Kosher for Passover, on the other hand, refers specifically to food that is permissible to eat during the Jewish holiday of Passover. During Passover, there are additional dietary restrictions beyond the normal kosher laws.
For example, leavened bread and other leavened products (known as chametz) are not allowed to be consumed during Passover. This is because the Jewish people did not have time to let their bread rise when they were fleeing Egypt, and so they ate unleavened bread (matzah) instead.
Therefore, kosher for Passover products must not only meet the regular kosher requirements but also must be free of any chametz or leavened products.
This includes not only bread but also other grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt. Instead, Passover products are made with alternative ingredients, such as matzah meal, potato starch, and other non-grain flours.
In summary, while kosher refers to food prepared and consumed according to Jewish dietary laws, kosher for Passover refers specifically to food that meets the additional dietary restrictions during the Passover holiday.