trefa
/ˈtreɪfə
/(also trifa or trayf)
adjective
(Of food) not satisfying the requirements of Jewish law: I asked her if she ever ate food that was trayf...
- Delineated in the Book of Leviticus and dating back to 1200 B.C.E., kashrut is a system of food laws for eating kosher foods and avoiding trefa foods.
- The word most commonly used to designate any non-kosher food is trayf - meaning torn.
- Foods that are not acceptable (termed trefa) include pork, fish that do not have scales and fins (like lobster or shrimp), and meals that combine meat and dairy products.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Hebrew ṭĕrēp̱āh 'the flesh of an animal torn or mauled', from ṭārap̱ 'rend'.