Anisakis and Worms Found in Fish - Check Your Fish Before You Cook It (Video Included)

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In yesterday's post, we saw the bugs that can be found in couscous, and briefly touched upon what Rabbi Moshe Vaya had to say in his book "Bedikas HaMazon."

In today's post we look at another area that many are unaware of - checking fish for worms! It is fascinating that ultimately when one studies to become a rabbi today, the first and most important issue addressed is food! One has to learn the laws of Kashrut, of forbidden mixtures and the forbidden mixture of meat and milk etc. It is no wonder why this area is chosen as the most basic area to be competent in when becoming a rabbi - since it is the most frequent thing we come in touch with each day! It is vital that our entire diet is not just healthy in the general sense of things - but that we are extra special careful with every food product to make certain there are no bugs and insects in it.

It is true and clear that certain worms that are eaten can lead to great sickness - but this is of course only on the physical side of things. Just as they create problems physically, they create problems spiritually too. Though one may not understand how this happens, it is certainly true - as we clarified in yesterday's post.

Anisakis is one of the best known worms that inhabit certain fish. When one eats raw fish with the live worm - one stands a great chance of becoming severely sick! While the general world will cook fish and not have to worry about the dead worm posing as a problem in terms of sickness any longer - a Jew must be careful of even this. It makes no difference whether the worm is alive or dead - it will still create a problem for the person.

It is vital to check one's fish from the shop before cooking it. Even if it comes with a good Hechsher, it does not mean that is has been perfectly checked necessarily and it is not always the fault of the fish-store selling the fish - after all, it is the fish that has the worms and not the store that puts the worms onto it (or into it!) Nevertheless when one purchases a reliable Hechsher, one does expect that the fish has been cleaned well! As with all food products, no matter how good the cleaning process is - don't forget, it is your body! Be concerned about every food product and the possibility of eating any type of poison or of course bug!

Today we take a look at what these worms can look like. While they are tremendously small to the naked eye - just take a look at what they look like under a magnifying glass! The language of the video is Hebrew, but there's no need to understand everything being said. The video speaks for itself. 

While various Batei Dinim around the world may make one feel complacent that they are taking everything into account so that the customer can feel safe - don't forget, these videos that we have available today (and lacked so many years ago) are here to point out to every one of us just how easily food is infested and how careful we should be to check all food - before we eat it!

דגים חייבים בדיקה! - מגעיל לצפייה מזהירים מראש!צילם: אנונימי הצלם מתבקש לאמר לנו את שמו | דרך אביחי מזרחי
Posted by ‎סרטונים מעניינים‎ on Monday, 1 June 2015

How to Kasher Your Kitchen for Pesach (and all year round) - Video

Preparing for Pesach and not sure what to do? Be certain to read Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg's List for cleaning for Pesach and then check out this great video and learn how to Kasher your own kitchen!!! All questions about kashering or cleaning should be asked to a reliable halachic authority (i.e. your local orthodox rabbi.) Do check out our other Pesach posts from previous years too!

Parshat Shemini - What is Kashrut?

Parshat Shemini deals with the laws of Kashrut in Jewish law. The Jewish people were commanded with a unique set of dietary laws which they are required to follow in today's times as much as they followed them in years gone by.

The world say you are what you eat - and the Torah stresses the point that the food we put into our bodies actually becomes a part of our very flesh and blood. Depending upon what we eat, so does this change our very personalities! It's amazing how so many people in the world are compassionate to the needs of vegetarians, vegans and others who espouse diets which claim to be healthier as well as preventing the death of animals - yet so often, these same people will laugh at those who wish to follow a kosher diet.

The truth is that we do not understand any of the laws of Kashrut. The Torah describes in great detail what makes food kosher. Some examples include that a fish should have both scales and fins, only certain birds (fitting in with the domesticated type) are kosher, only certain animals (namely domesticated animals) are kosher, an animal must have split hooves and chew the cud to be kosher, one may not mix meat and milk together, derive benefit from the mixture or eat the forbidden mixture. 

Then there are laws that deal with the permissibility of eating fruits from trees not yet three years old, or eating these same fruits if various portions given to the Kohanim and other are not yet removed. In fact the laws of kashrut are exceptionally complex! There are laws that relate to the way cooking is actually done. There are a host of additional laws for food over the Pesach (Passover) holiday. There are even laws attached to cutlery and crockery - which are "merely" the items which the food is cooked in and placed upon!

Though we do not understand these laws, we must keep in mind that the fact that we are commanded to keep them, means that these foods are not only going to be healthiest for us (when eaten in a healthy diet framework!) but that they will keep the soul in best working order together with the body too.

Here is Rabbi Chaim Vogleman in an introductory Shiur, sharing a little about the origins of Kashrut and what it's all about!