Seafood has been strictly off the kosher menu for thousands of years, but thanks to innovative food scientists, "prawns" could soon become part of Shabbat dinner.
Under halachic law, Jews are forbidden from eating anything from the sea unless it has both fins and scales.
The new product, called Shr!mp, is made by baking red algae with a plant-based protein powder and could be available in Britain from as early as next year.
The fake shellfish has been created in the labs of an American company called New Wave Foods which, according to its website, aims to provide "truly sustainable seafood for everyone".
"We're not reproducing shrimp cells," said Dominique Barnes, co-founder of New Wave.
"We use a process that's similar to baking a loaf of bread."
The product is expected to be available in the UK some time next year, but already kosher restaurants are looking forward to serving it.
Sam Kay is joint owner of the White House Express in Hendon and Golders Green, as well as dairy restaurant Isola Bella – all of which serve fish.
If the "prawns" were given the green light by the London Beth Din, Mr Kay would be happy to put them on the menu.
"You can already buy kosher versions of crab sticks, so why not?" he said.
"As times and trends change, so does the kosher palate which is now much more extensive than it once was."
But would the fake seafood actually be halachically acceptable. According to Rabbi Daniel Epstein of co*ckfosters & N Southgate Synagogue, it would depend on the rule of Mar'it Ayin, translated as "visual perception or interpretation".
Rabbi Epstein explained: "If it can be interpreted suspiciously, causing someone to think that a Jewish person was transgressing a law, then we have to be extra careful in how we ensure that the wrong impression will not be inferred.
"If an imitation prawn was placed on a plate in front of me, I would not eat it.
"However, if a sealed bag of these same prawns would be placed in front of me with the packaging clearly showing that the product was kosher... that would be an entirely different story."
FAQs
Seafood has been strictly off the kosher menu for thousands of years, but thanks to innovative food scientists, "prawns" could soon become part of Shabbat dinner. Under halachic law, Jews are forbidden from eating anything from the sea unless it has both fins and scales.
Can Jews eat soft shell crab? ›
Fish & Seafood: A water creature is kosher only if it has fins and scales. Examples: salmon, tuna, pike, flounder, carp and herring are kosher; catfish, sturgeon, swordfish, lobster, shellfish, crabs and all water mammals are not.
What are the three rules to eating kosher? ›
Here is a simplified version of these laws:
- Certain animals may not be eaten at all. ...
- Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
- All blood must be drained from the meat or cooked out of it before it is eaten.
- Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
These juicy extra-large prawns are reared in seawater ponds in Honduras and are carefully selected for size and quality. Frozen straight after harvesting to lock in the freshness, they're perfect cooked in their shells to bring out their full sweet flavour.
How can you tell shrimp and prawns apart? ›
Shrimp and Prawn Anatomies
In terms of their body makeup, shrimp have a side plate that overlays segments in front and behind; prawns side plates overlap tile-like from front to back. This structure affects their shape—a telltale sign whether you are eating a shrimp or a prawn is whether the body curls or not.
Can Jews have lobsters? ›
Lobster is not kosher: Jewish Scriptures prohibit eating all shellfish. Nevertheless, Maine's Jews have developed a pronounced fondness for one of this state's signature dishes. Many Jewish Mainers eat lobster even though they would never eat pork, another forbidden food.
Do you actually eat the shell of a soft-shell crab? ›
In fact, the entire shell of a soft-shell crab is completely edible. You get the same buttery crab meat, but with a slight crunch in every bite. Frying soft-shell crabs is one of the most popular ways to cook them.
What is the punishment for not eating kosher? ›
discussed and clarified the punishments for various transgressions, including those not explicit in the Torah. They determined that most negative commandments (the “thou shalt nots”) warranted makkot, or 39 lashes. Eating non-kosher food falls into this category (Hullin 102; Maimonides, Laws of Forbidden Foods 2:2).
Why is rabbit not kosher? ›
You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.
Why can't Jews mix dairy and meat? ›
Some Jewish authorities give reasons for this prohibition. One reason given is, that it is cruel to cook a baby in the very milk that was intended to nourish it. The Torah forbids the cooking and consumption of any milk with any meat to prevent one from cooking a kid in its mother's milk.
Ocean Royale Australian Raw Prawns Peeled Tail Off 500g. Ocean Royale Australian Raw Prawns Peeled Tail Off 500g.
What part of a prawn can't you eat? ›
I'm guessing you're asking about the "sand vein", the dark line in prawns and shrimp that is indeed the digestive tract. The short answer is no -- with shell-on shrimp, they're cooked with the vein intact. The vein is removed when you prepare shrimp with the shell off, because it looks better.
What is the brown stuff in prawns? ›
The dark line running through the backs of shrimp goes by many names—the dorsal tract, back vein, or sand vein, Tori Stivers, MS, a seafood specialist at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, tells SELF. The marking is made up of the shellfish's stomach, midgut, and intestine.
Which is healthier, prawns or shrimp? ›
There are no major documented differences between prawns and shrimp when it comes to their nutritional value. Each is a good source of protein, while also being relatively low in calories. Three ounces (85 grams) of shrimp or prawns contain approximately 18 grams of protein and only about 85 calories (3).
Which is more expensive, prawn or shrimp? ›
Prawns are typically, but not always, larger than shrimp.
This size difference explains why prawns tend to be more expensive.
Are prawns just big shrimp? ›
While very similar in appearance, shrimp and prawns are two distinct species. Prawns tend to be larger than shrimp, and often taste sweeter. There are more varieties of shrimp, too. Both animals have 10 legs, but prawns have pincers on three pairs of legs, while shrimp just have one clawed duo.
Is softshell crab kosher? ›
Oysters, crabs, lobsters, shellfish and sharks are all non-kosher, but there is a difference between oysters and the others.
What brand of imitation crab is kosher? ›
Dyna-Sea Kosher Imitation Crabmeat Sticks.
Why can't you eat soft-shell crab? ›
More significant, however, is that the meat from a soft-shell crab is of very low quality compared to meat from a harder cousin. People have described this meat as watery, mushy, lacking in texture, or even "jelly-like" and as a result it is often thrown away.
What types of seafood can Jews not eat? ›
Fish is considered kosher only if it comes from an animal that has fins and scales, such as tuna, salmon, halibut, or mackerel. Water-dwelling creatures that don't have these physical features — such as shrimp, crab, oysters, lobster, and other types of shellfish — are not permitted.
