What Does Glatt Kosher Mean?

If you have ever looked at a kosher restaurant menu or walked through a kosher grocery store, you have probably seen the words "glatt kosher." And you have probably wondered: is there kosher, and then there is really kosher? What makes something "glatt"?

It is actually a fascinating piece of Jewish law, and it comes down to one very specific detail about an animal's lungs.

The Literal Meaning

The word glatt is Yiddish for "smooth." In the context of kashrut (Jewish dietary law), it refers to the condition of an animal's lungs after shechita (ritual slaughter).

Here is what happens: after a kosher animal (such as a cow) is properly slaughtered by a trained shochet (ritual slaughterer), the internal organs are examined. The lungs receive special attention. If the lungs are found to be completely smooth, with no adhesions, bumps, lesions, or blemishes of any kind, the animal is considered glatt kosher.

If the lungs do have adhesions, things get more complicated. Some adhesions can be tested: they are gently removed, and if the lung holds air (does not leak), many halachic authorities consider the animal to be kosher, just not glatt. However, if the lung leaks or the blemish cannot be resolved, the animal is treif (not kosher) and may not be eaten.

Glatt vs. Regular Kosher

So what is the practical difference?

Glatt kosher means the animal's lungs were perfectly smooth. No questions, no testing of adhesions, no gray areas. It is the highest standard for meat kashrut.

Regular kosher (sometimes called "non-glatt" or simply "kosher") means the animal was properly slaughtered and the lungs may have had minor adhesions that were tested and found to be acceptable according to Torah and rabbinic tradition">halacha. The meat is still kosher according to many respected authorities, but it does not meet the stricter glatt standard.

Think of it this way: all glatt kosher meat is kosher, but not all kosher meat is glatt.

A Stricter Standard

The reason glatt kosher has become so prevalent is that many communities and rabbinical authorities have adopted it as their standard. The Sephardi tradition, following the ruling of Rabbi Yosef Karo in the Shulchan Aruch, essentially requires glatt kosher. Any adhesion on the lung renders the animal treif according to this stricter view.

The Ashkenazi tradition, following the Rema (Rabbi Moshe Isserles), is more lenient and allows certain adhesions to be tested. However, over the past several decades, even many Ashkenazi communities have moved toward the glatt standard.

Today, the vast majority of kosher meat available in stores and restaurants in the United States and Israel is glatt kosher. It has become the default. When you see a product labeled simply "kosher" without the word "glatt," it is worth checking which standard is being followed.

Beyond Meat: How the Term Is Used Today

Interestingly, the term "glatt kosher" has evolved in common usage to mean something broader than its technical definition. Many people use "glatt kosher" as shorthand for "strictly kosher" or "meeting the highest kosher standards." You might even see a restaurant advertising itself as "glatt kosher" even though the term technically only applies to meat, not to the restaurant as a whole.

What they usually mean is: we follow the strictest standards of kashrut across the board, from our meat to our produce to our kitchen procedures.

What This Means for You

If you keep kosher or are shopping for someone who does, here is what you need to know:

• If your community or rabbi requires glatt kosher, look for that specific designation on meat products. Most major kosher certification agencies clearly label whether meat is glatt.
• If you are hosting observant Jewish guests, serving glatt kosher meat is the safest choice, as it satisfies virtually all Orthodox standards.
• In a kosher restaurant, asking whether the meat is glatt is a perfectly normal and expected question. No one will think you are being difficult.

The distinction between glatt and non-glatt kosher is a wonderful example of how Jewish law operates: there is a baseline requirement, and then there are higher standards that communities and individuals can embrace. Both are legitimate expressions of keeping kosher. But in today's Orthodox world, glatt has become the standard that most people follow.