Meat and dairy in Jewish law בָּשָׂר וְחָלָב
Kosher law forbids cooking meat with milk, eating them together and benefiting from such a mixture. A kosher kitchen therefore separates meat and dairy foods, dishes and times.
The source
The Torah says three times “you shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). The Talmud explains that the triple repetition teaches three prohibitions: cooking, eating and deriving benefit (Chullin 115b). The Oral Tradition applies the verse to all kosher domestic animals; the Sages extended it to poultry as a safeguard (Mishnah Chullin 8:1).
In practice
- Separate pots, dishes, cutlery and often sinks or sponges for meat and dairy.
- Meat and dairy are not served at the same meal or on the same table cloth.
- After eating meat, one waits before eating dairy; after dairy, one usually cleans the mouth and washes the hands before meat (hard, aged cheese is treated like meat by many).
- Pareve foods – vegetables, fruit, grains, eggs, kosher fish – go with either, though fish is customarily not eaten together with meat.
How long to wait
The Talmud records that Mar Ukva waited from one meal to the next after meat (Chullin 105a). The Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch set this at about six hours (Yoreh De'ah 89:1), the custom of Sephardim and of most Ashkenazim. Some Ashkenazi communities of German origin wait three hours, and Jews of Dutch origin one hour – each following a recognised family custom.
Sources
רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ
לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כָל־נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר־בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנָכְרִי כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ
Talmud and halachic sources
- Talmud, Chullin 104b–105a and 115b
- Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 87–97 (and the Rema)
Frequently asked questions
- Is chicken considered meat?
- Yes. By rabbinic law poultry is treated like meat and may not be eaten with dairy. Fish and eggs are pareve.
- How long do I wait after meat before dairy?
- Most communities wait six hours; some Ashkenazi families keep three hours or one hour by tradition. Follow your family custom or ask your rabbi.
- Can I eat meat after dairy?
- Generally yes, after rinsing the mouth, eating something neutral and washing hands. Many wait longer after hard, aged cheese.
- What if a dairy spoon went into a meat pot?
- It depends on temperature, quantities and timing. Such cases have detailed rules – ask a rabbi before discarding or using anything.