“Fleishig” Fish

HALACHA PROHIBITS CROSS-CONTAMINATION between fish and meat. Fish that is prepared in a kosher facility is carefully kept separate from meat and poultry. This can lead to the mistaken assumption that such fish is always fully pareve and may be eaten with dairy, even if it was prepared in a fleishig restaurant or catering facility.

In reality, this is not so. While fish may not come into direct contact with meat, the prohibition does not extend to keilim. Fish may be prepared in clean meat utensils, provided they are free of any actual meat residue.

For example, one may fry schnitzel in a pan, clean it thoroughly, and then use it a few minutes later to fry fish. Likewise, one may cook meat or chicken in an oven and, shortly afterward, bake fish in the same oven. Since the fish will not come into direct contact with the oven walls or floor, the interior surfaces do not even require cleaning. While the fish prepared in these examples is unquestionably kosher, it is not necessarily considered fully pareve. The halachic concept involved is known as nat bar nat (“secondary transfer of taste”). The meat utensil first absorbs the flavor of the meat and then transfers that absorbed taste to the fish. The fish therefore contains a “second-degree” meat taste, as it did not absorb the flavor directly from the meat. May such fish be eaten with dairy?¹

This is a dispute between the Mechaber and the Rema. According to the Mechaber, followed by most Sephardim, fish prepared in clean meat utensils remains fully pareve and may even be cooked with dairy. According to the Rema, followed by Ashkenazim, it is not considered fully pareve and should not be eaten together with dairy l’chatchila. However, bi’dieved, if it was already mixed or cooked with dairy and cannot be separated, it is permitted.

During the Nine Days

Many (if not most) fleishig restaurants continue to prepare meat items for those who request them even during the Nine Days. Therefore, the above considerations still apply. However, if one knows that a particular restaurant or caterer is not preparing any meat during the Nine Days and is offering only a fish menu, many Poskim will allow the fish to be treated as fully pareve.  Although it was prepared using meat equipment, those utensils were not used for meat within the previous twenty-four hours and are therefore eino ben yomo. In such a case, even according to the Rema, the fish may be eaten together with dairy. There are, however, minority opinions that remain stringent even in this case. As always, one should consult their personal Rav for practical guidance. ~

1 There are a number of customs regarding eating fish and dairy together. Our discussion here is therefore only relevant for those who do.