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    16 Most Annoying Things About Keeping Kosher... In A Muslim Country

    It is complicated between me and Turkish food. A tribute to Emily's 16 Most Annoying Things About Keeping Kosher.

    1. Everyone thinks it is the same thing with eating halal meat. (It is not!)

    2. You need to explain that it is not about cleanliness! Jews don't think that Muslim food isn't clean!?!?!!

    3. Then the entire conversation becomes Judaism 101.

    4. You need to act quick (and change the subject) before all questions become Israel related.

    5. A sad point is when you explain you can't eat this.

    6. Consequently, this is what you eat when you go to a kebab restaurant with friends:

    7. The Meditarrenean diet calls for Olive Oil and not butter, except for the best rice in the world.

    8. More non-kosher food that smell AMAZING (and this sounds gross) includes Kokorec...

    9. At home, especially if nobody else keeps kosher, your life is a constant battle with yogurt.

    10. It is tough to explain friends why you can't have pepperoni pizza take-out for dinner in the house.

    11. It also hurts to know that this is what they ate when you couldn't make it to dinner that one night.

    12. If you choose to cook kosher meat at home, the meat is not only double the price, but also high in demand and low in supply.

    13. You know you will never be able to make this at home, so you just give up on eating good Turkish döner.

    So the staple to-go wrap of your people is not an option for you :(

    14. You need to explain how you can't eat the calamari or the shrimp at that beautiful fish restaurant.

    15. But no one can understand how midye dolma is not an exception, especially after midnight.

    16. Overall, if you can't just eat vegetarian-style outside, you will be hungry all day.

    However, you probably grew up with amazing food. Including this for breakfast:

    ...this for dinner:

    ...and for lunch, the school chef probably saved you a portion before mixing the meat to the veggie meal.

    You ate sarma for snacks:

    And this for desert.

    So it really is not as bad as it may seem :)

    L'Chaim & Afiyet!

    Keep in mind that this is what I did when I kept kosher at home, and there are many different ways to keep kosher. Refer to #3 here above (and #2 on Emily's post)!