To serve kosher meat just to spite them?

[flaquark]

I think I might be being a tad silly but..

A few of DH's work collegues are coming over for sunday dinner (with their families) tomorrow. We did all the making sure about veggies and allergies and all that.
I got a text from one of them saying that they were looking forward to coming and all that and they added on the end that could we not serve any kosher meat tomorrow as they dont agree with it.
Both me and DH dont keep kosher, at all, never have.

For some reason the text really pissed me off, and I really want to go and buy different meat that is all kosher.

I'm being ridiculous aren't I?

The OP has said she doesn't keep Kosher. If she wasn't Jewish her response would be why on earth wouldI be serving Kosher, I'm not Jewish.

Halal is generally used with reference to Islamic dietary code. The OP might be Jewish (the assumption from her saying they "don't keep Kosher" is that she is) She might be a practising Muslim but she cannot possibly be Jewish and Muslim.

The above was in response to specialsubject who seems to think Judaism and Islam are interchangeable.

Also not sure what is so offensive in saying one doesn't want to eat animals slaughtered by Kosher or Halal methods.

Just to point out to those who object to kosher slaughther methods - I can't speak for orthodox Jews, but I can assure you that the Reform movement regularly reviews its policy on kosher slaughter as we believe that minimising the suffering of the animal is paramount, rather than the ritual itself. And after every review, the position is maintained that the traditional kosher method of slaughter is still the most humane.

Some people, including my DH, prefer not to eat kosher meat because they feel that the processing removes a lot of the flavour. So perhaps the OP's guests don't want "tasteless" meat rather than having any concerns over animal welfare (which are frankly completely unfounded IMO unless they only eat locally sourced free-range organic meat ordinarily). Which is just rude.

I don't blame you for being annoyed OP. It's smacks of cultural intolerance to me.

Well I suppose someone of Jewish/Semitic ethnicity could convert to Islam but one doesn't tend to find people identifying as Jewish and Muslim. There might be a lot less problems in the Middle East if that were the case.

I've never heard my Jewish friends refer to the dietary code they ignore as anything other than Kosher and a Muslim colleague refers to halal not Kosher.

If the guest cared about animal welfare they would have specified only high quality, organic, free range meat although if one cares about animal welfare they shouldn't eat meat at all. But they didn't they specified it not be killed according to Jewish principles. So they clearly have a problem with the Jewish person not the meat.

itsbetterthanabox er how did you come to that conclusion? The objection is to the meat not the person. I have a Jewish friend who disapproves of the methods used in producing Kosher meat.

I would be incredibly annoyed by this (though I'm vegetarian so it wouldn't arise). Basically what it's saying, in a rather passive-aggressive way, is "I'm morally superior to you. I don't approve of your eating choices, however important they are to you."

And in fact, it's worse than that. Imagine the OP did keep kosher. What on earth is she supposed to do - break an important dietary rule and serve everyone, including herself, non-kosher meat? Or serve everyone else kosher meat except for this one individual and give them something else? I would be sorely tempted to serve everyone else meat and give this person a plate of lentils.

They were very rude to say this.

IME people who worry about the type of meat on offer ask for vegetarian food rather than dictate to their hosts. Certainly that's what the Muslim families we've invited to parties have done (it did take about 3 parties for me work out what was going on, at first I was just puzzled as to why we suddenly knew so many veggies).

I'ld be irked as well by that last minute query,but i reckon better to serve them vegetarian food instead, as they are clearly oh so committed to animal welfare.

Em. I am Jewish and don't eat halal or kosher meat because of welfare concerns. It's certainly not just a race thing. When I am required to eat kosher I just don't eat meat. But I wouldn't have a problem telling people I don't eat it. I don't eat non-free range chicken or veal because of the same concerns and that has nothing to do with race.

OP, are you coming back? These people sound insufferably rude - if I read your OP correctly they are actually trying to dictate that you do not serve kosher meat to anyone?? What if you did keep kosher, were they expecting you to serve vegetarian only, or even abandon all your beliefs and serve non kosher? That is crazy. Does your DH have any idea why they are like this.

Next time I am invited to a dinner party I will ask the hosts to serve only free range organic meat, and I will ask them to keep the packets so I can check.

I'd be angry they left it so late. I think it's a fine line- I have a very restricted diet, but wouldn't dream of saying "oh I don't eat this that or those". It's ONE meal, I can always eat at least one component of it, or bring some gluten free stuff myself. You're not a restaurant.

I do agree of course where there are serious allergies like peanuts etc.

Caitlin did you read my post?
Not eating kosher meat doesn't animals are treated better. Kosher meat is no worse than other meat but the guest didn't ask for good quality only non kosher. So obviously animal welfare isn't that issue.

itsbetterthan did you read the reply from aermingers?

Like her I wouldn't eat it nor any poultry which isn't free range or veal.

box objections have more to do with the minimization of suffering in the slaughtering process than the conditions of the animal during it's life.

Your reaction is a wee bit juvenile, but I can see why you'd be annoyed.

Working on the logic that you are Jewish, hence their text, then it was bloody rude; the fact that it was the day before was bloody rude as you could have already bought your ingredients by then and they'd be expecting you to go out and buy new ones; and it's bloody rude to demand what style of meat you buy anyway!

I have some dietary restrictions, my friends know this and bless them, are always very careful to try and accommodate them. However, I wouldn't dream of saying "oh and it has to be organic", despite my own preference for organic food - it's one meal, ffs!

I had an issue with veal, years ago, when it was all white veal. Wouldn't eat it on principle. BUt I went to Russia with my father, we were taken to a Russian man's house where they had laid on a feast for us - including veal ravioli-type things. It would have been excessively rude of me to refuse it on the basis that I didn't agree with it, so I ate it.

Don't deliberately buy kosher meat because they've annoyed you with their rudeness though - just rise above it and when they ask, just say (as a PP said) "Why on earth would you assume the meat would have been kosher?!"

I would never knowingly buy or cook kosher or halal meat, and I feel strongly that it shouldn't be for sale without being labelled. I also wouldn't buy non free range meat or chicken. However if invited for dinner I wouldn't dream of imposing my views on my hosts and would eat what I was served. It's even more of an imposition to expect a Jewish family to cook non kosher meat if they do keep kosher, and these people clearly thought that was a possibility. Their behaviour is potentially very offensive. I wouldn't serve them kosher meat deliberately, but I would cook a vegetarian menu and wouldn't mention it at all. Let them think.

What they are really saying is 'we don't like the way Jewish people kill their meat and we want you to know that before we come to eat in your house.' They are also letting you know they do not respect the wishes and traditions of your religion. Oi if I were you I would univite them.

Thta's exactly it, isn't it monkeynuts? If they only eat free-range etc meat, they could have mentioned it when the OP asked, or said that they would prefer a vegetarian option. Instead, they had to specify the kosher aspect when the welfare of animals slaughtered by shachrit is no worse then other animals who have gone through the wholesale mass-farming and mass-slaughter methods. If they only eat ethically-raised meat, that's a very differeny story to the method used to dispatch it and they could have phrased their preference without bringing religion into it.

brokenhearted - I'd disagree. I'm a vegetarian, so I would tell a host that and expect a meal to be prepared in a accordance to my preferences. (unless we were having a meal at my SIL's, in which case I would expect ridicule and to be told to bring my own food ).

But my being vegetarian is just that. A preference. I won't get sick or die if I eat meat- it's not like an allergy.

So why is it any less acceptable to ask hosts to please prepare a meal with free-range meat if that is your preference?