The Orthodox Union is sponsoring a conference in Los Angeles to explore lesser-known Kosher culinary dishes, while keeping the traditions of their preparation alive for the next generation.
The three-day “halakhic [Jewish legal] adventure” will begin with a symposium on “The Mesorah [tradition] of Kosher Birds and Animals,” followed by a “show and taste” session at a local Kosher restaurant.
In the following days, the OU will hold Kashrut training seminars for students and food preparation professionals, dealing with the Jewish legal requirements for kosher wine and cheese production. The seminars will take place on-location at local wineries and dairies.
The conference will take place from August 5-7. Two similar events have been held, in 2004 and 2006, in New York City.
The two men behind the Mesorah Conference phenomenon are Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky and Dr. Ari Greenspan, who both immigrated to Israel from the U.S. The men have devoted years to investigating exotic or rare species that are kosher but either no longer consumed or consumed only by small communities. They do this to maintain the tradition of which species are permitted be eaten and which are not.
The men have examined the kosher status of the giraffe, swan, peacock, grasshopper, buffalo and other exotic creatures - as well as the manner in which each are slughtered and prepared for consumption.
The conference will take place at the OU’s West Coast Headquarters, 9831 West Pico Blvd, from 9:30 AM - 3 PM.
The session will be followed by “an extraordinary Torah and gastronomic event,” promises the OU’s Director of Kashrut Education, Rabbi Yosef Grossman. It will feature quail, red deer, fleishig (meat) eggs, bison, udder, shibuta and tambaqui (fish that according to the Talmud taste like pork).
“The reception of the two Mesorah Conferences in New York was phenomenal, and so we made the decision to bring the program to Los Angeles,” Rabbi Grossman explained.
For more information, email westcoast@ou.org