Can one eat in a vegetarian restaurant which does not have certification?
• ANSWER: It is often assumed that vegetarian food prepared in a non-Jewish establishment is Kosher. However, this notion is based on misinterpretation of the term ‘vegetarian’. Although some vegetarian food may be in fact be Kosher, this cannot be taken as a general rule, for the following reasons: a) Cheese products (both hard and soft cheeses) must have Kosher certification. b) Some vegetarian food may contain non-Kosher margarine or fish oil. c) Vegetables in which insects are occasionally found require examination by a reliable Jewish person. d) The Rabbinic prohibition against eating foods cooked by a gentile, while this prohibition not applicable to all foods, certainly applies to a course of fish. It would also apply to a long list of foods that cannot be eaten raw, and foods that would be special enough to be placed on a ‘kings menu’.
