Beit Sarah

I would like to present a somewhat opposing opinion on the matter.

Years ago, I was a vegan. In those days, it was super difficult to find something delicious to eat that was fully vegan. All the processed vegan food items in stores had ingredients lists that were super long, most of which were almost unpronounceable. The reason for many of these ingredients was to simulate as closely as possible the flavor of the real thing.

I always wondered why people who were interested in their fake sausages tasting just like the real thing not just go ahead and eat the real thing. It was probably easy for me to think and feel that way because I found the taste of processed pork products repugnant to my taste buds.

Being a vegan was not sustainable for me at that time, so I only stuck to it for about 1.5 years. I haven’t completely forgotten my vegan roots, and it integrates very well into my kosher diet; nevertheless, I will take a hard pass on the fake pork and imitation seafood no matter how many hechsher certifications they received.

I have nothing to say about anyone who chooses to eat these products. It is their choice, but perhaps too many people are relying on taste when it comes to keeping kosher rather than kedushah (holiness).

Here is the danger: once you get people to start liking the flavor, where does it end? How long will it take for some to decide that eating the real thing is okay? I am speaking of Jews. The Goyim, of course, can go ahead and eat whatever they want to satisfy their appetites, but to the Jew, food represents a way to maintain holiness.