Organic feed gives a surprising taste to geese.
Kosher-keepers can thank the organic market for a new taste sensation: flesh that tastes exactly like pork, only kosher. Pork-flavored goose, from Spain, that is. The phenomenon is attributed to a particular organic feed that the geese eat.
It would be interesting to know if Halal authorities would approve this meat. If the thinking on Arwa’s post regarding the Halal status of GM food corresponds to this, it may well be so. High-end organic products are appearing everywhere in the Middle East these days. There’s almost certainly a market among observant Moslems and Jews for a permitted taste of illicit foods.
To ensure that the taste is authentic, the Israeli Rabbinate sent samples to three non-Jewish chefs. All three chefs agreed that the taste of the goose exactly duplicates that of pork.
Speaking on Nov. 22nd at a food conference in Kaplan hospital, Rechovot, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yonah Metzger stated that there’s no reason why pork-flavored geese shouldn’t be fit for Jews to eat.
The Talmud states that for every forbidden food, a kosher food was created that tastes exactly like it. Metzger bases his approval of the pork-flavored goose on that statement, and further, argues that the meat offers a kosher alternative to Jews who would otherwise choose real pork.
As for kosher-observers who might find the idea repugnant, Metzger feels that “they will get used to it.” He also stated,
“We are investigating the possibility of industrial imports of this goose.”
Only waiting only for the swinish geese to reach maturity, we can expect to taste for ourselves in Israel sometime in March.
:: Ynet.
More culinary adventures in the Middle East from Green Prophet:
Photo of pig by The Pug Father via Flickr.
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
If it’s Kosher meat, it’s automatically Halal, isn’t it?
Norm, as stated in the post, the Chief Rabbinate sent samples of the goose to three non-Jewish chefs, who verified the porky flavor.
And yes, there are some kosher products that are said to taste like bacon in Israel, but this goose is a new phenomenon.
Only one problem with this – how would a Yiddishe boycheck (or a believer in the Prophet Muhammad) know that goose actually does taste like pork?
BTW, this kind of stuff (including smoked goose breast) has been in Israel for some time, and is certified kosher.