Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-03-27
SHAM LARD FOR JEWS.
A New Product That the Hebrew
Housewife VIII Bless.

I
Housewife VIII Bless.
The Trouble Jewish Cooks Are Put To I'm
Preparing FOod-Substitutes for Lard
Goose Grease and Beef Fat Sup
planted by Cotton-Seed Oil.
In recent issue the editor of the Hebrew
| Journal made this statement:
''The other day received q circular extoll-
ing the merits OF kosher lard, that is, lard
made from cotton OIL And now the only tn ng
left for the ingenuity OF the American inventor
Is to discover some process by which bacon and
! ham can be rendered kosher enough to meet
with the approval of Rabbi seph himself"
To the Christian reader this probably has
! little significance, but it means great deal
to the Jew. For many generations the Jew
ish housewife has been beset with vexations
and difficulties from which her Christian sis
! ter was altogether free. The Mosaic laws,
| with their minute regulations concerning
| both the preparation and serving of food,
hampered her in many respects and made
! for her much labor that would, without
| their interference, have been unnecessary
| OF course, every body knows that pork
| does not enter into the Jewish house, but
! further tlAln that the knowledge of only the
minority outside the faith extends. Chapter
xi. OF Leviticus contains bewildering list
of animals, fowl and fish that were declared
unclean, but the restrictions that appear in
the Bible were of little moment compared
with the many that were added afterward
! by the rabbis or wise men, so that now the
| orthodox JewesS stands IN continual fear of
! transgresslng some of the regulations of
! the household as they are laid down by
Rabbi Joseph and his kind.
The ban against the hog was pronounced
in the sentence that forbade the eating of
any animal that did not divide its hoof, and
also chew its cud. This, of course, ruled
against the fat of the hog also, and never
has lard been used by any Jew who at all
respected the tenets of his faith. In fact,
many Jews who have departed from the
ways OF their fathers and who have thrown
aside the traditions of their religion would
not use lard under any circumstances, and it
is undoubtedly true that while originally the
flesh and fat of the hog were considered no
worse than those of any other Of the forbid
den animals, they became many centuries
ago the most sinful of all in the eyes of
Israelites, and no more severe persecution
was ever attempted by their enemies than
when they forced the obnoxious food down
their abhorrent throats The New England
wife who has made her toothsome dough-
nuts and ttaky pie-crust with the aid of lard
| via uO OOuUL WOIlu6T now any COOK could
ever get along without it; but the Jewish
cook had to stand even greater privatio ms.
In making doughnuts and pie-crust she
could use butter, provided, however, that
! these daintieS were not eaten with any
other dishes that contained meat or its
/ products. The rabbls have interpreted the
Mosaic laws to mean that flesh and milk
must not be eaten at the same time, and the
orthodox Jew will not eat them within an
hour of each other. AS butter is the prod
uct of milk, pie crust containing butter
could not, of course, be served at any meal
in which meat was also a part. In fry
| ing meats their regulation prevented the
! cook from using butter or lard, and left her
the choice between vegetable oils and beef
! fat.
Even in regard to these there were some
restrictions. All beef fat is not kosher, or
clean. All chalet, that is tallow, is not
| kosher. Chalet includes the fat around the
intestines and kidneys. Mixer, the fat be-
tween the intestines is kosher, and this is
what the strict Jewish cook has used mainly
as long as there is any record. In European
countries, where the Jews still live together
| for the most part in certain quarters of the
cities, towns and villages, no other grease
Is used than the beef fat and goose grease.
| Polish Jews are especially addicted to the
]
much more expensive than lard. German
Jews use beef fat more
| In either case the cook tries out all the
! fat she uses herself, and is thus doubly
sure that 1t Is kosher In fact, unless the
| assurance can be given that it has been
! tried out in kosher vessels, and that it has
not come in contact with foreign substances,
| it would be just as unclean as the hog itself.
| OF course, the trying out of the fat means
great deal of extra labor and, what with
| keeping two sets of dishes, one for milk and
| one for meat, which were never allowed to
touch each other, and observing all the 9th
er regulations, the Jewish housewife has
nearly twice as much work as any other In
this country and some of the southern coun-
| tries of Europe olive oil was used instead of
fat, but not every body cares to have meals
prepared in oil, and the use of it was con-
| fined within narrow limits.
The words of the editor of the Hebrew
Journal will bring JOY to the hearts of all
Jewish cooks. They mean that one of their
most vexatious trials in the past can now
| be obviated.
The New York Sun reporter who inspect
| ed this new tlard" found 1t very appetiz-
ing in appearance. 1t resembles ordinary
lard. 1t has slight odor of the oil, but it
is not at ali Objectionable. 1t is said to be
made of cotton-seed oil and pure beef fat.
| 1t sells at the same price as the best lard,
but the manufacturers claim that it is
cheaper, inasmuch as it requires a lesser
quantity to accomplish the same purpose.
1t is necessary, in using it, to put it in
cold pan with the meat or other food, and
let them get hot together. If it were put
in hot pan the oil and fat in the lard
| would separate Although this lard is
made for the use of the community at
large, and is not controlled by Hebrews,
the manufacturers have taken especial
pains to disseminate their literature on the
subject among the Jews of the country
Their pamphlets are all headed with the
word Kosher" in Hebrew characters
Editor Davis, of the Hebrew Journal, said
TO the reporter that the new lard was being
extensively used by the Jews in this city,
and that 1t was saving labor for great
many Jewish cooks.