Are French Fries Kosher?

Are French Fries Kosher for Passover?

YES! French fries or potatoes are kosher as long as they are cooked in a kosher oil. This applies to homemade French Fries that you cooked yourself and are aware of the ingredients. Commercially made French Fries from a restaurant would have to be certified as Kosher. 

If you have any concerns for if your French Fries you bought are Kosher or any other food, check here to determine if they’re Kosher certified. 

What makes a food Kosher?

Kosher means that a food or drink is allowed to be eaten according to Jewish dietary law. It’s not a type of cooking like some may believe, it’s a collection of laws that are very strict about certain types of food, the way they’re prepared, and the way they’re processed. 

The laws themselves are complex but focus around three main categories for food, meat, dairy, and “pareve”. Kosher meat comes from split hooved animals that chew their curd (partially digested food that returns from the stomach). Dairy products have to come from a Kosher animal and be prepared with ingredients and equipment that is also Kosher. Finally, Pareve is the category for foods that aren’t meat or dairy, such as eggs, vegetables, fish, coffee, and more. 

There are multiple laws underneath those three categories that make it hard for people to determine if a food is Kosher. For information, check out OUKosher for a Kosher Primer. 

What kinds of oils aren’t Kosher to cook with?

A lot of cooking oils produced, those for French Fries included, aren’t Kosher. This is largely in part due to the ingredients being certain animal based or how they’re processed. Since production of cooking oils is complex and all it takes for a food to not be Kosher is one process, it’s easy to see why there aren’t many cooking oils that are Kosher. Some oils that are Kosher include fish-oils, tallow, vegetable, and lard. However, the brand of oil depends as well since it can’t be prepared using the same equipment that processes animal oils. So, it’s important to research how each oil you cook with is prepared. 

Are Fried Foods Kosher for Passover?

This goes back to not many oils being Kosher due to how they are produced. A good fried food requires oil, so as long as the oil used and the base food being fried is Kosher, then the dish is Kosher. 

Can You Eat Potato Chips on Passover?

Most potato chips aren’t Kosher for Passover due to their production using Legumes. There are substitutes being used for Kosher friendly chips such as Palm Oil or Cottonseed. Be sure to check the specific brand and if they produced Kosher specific potato chips. Some large brands that are taking strides to provide these Kosher alternatives are Utz, Lay’s, and Ruffles.

Summary:

French Fries are absolutely Kosher as long as they are prepared in a cooking oil that is also Kosher. The potato itself is Kosher and can be eaten in many different ways, but do be cautious of how they are prepared, especially if you’re buying frozen store bought French Fries.