Not JUST kosher, but kosher FROM ISRAEL!  OK, so it was not a kosher wine, rather kosher marshmallows.  I found the article “Kosher brand tops the chart” in the San Fransisco Chronicle while I was out West the other week.

Just like a wine tasting, the panel tasted 5 marshmallows BLIND (cool huh?) and scored each, with a perfect score being 100.  And the winner…by A LANDSLIDE….(drum beat)…. the ELYON marshmallow.

While the ELYON scored 80 (out of 100) points, the other 4 tasted scored between 42-49 points.   Price per weight, these marshmallows, imported from Israel, were not even the most expensive ($3.99 for 7 ounces).  That honor went to the Whole Foods brand (43 points & $6.49/10.5 ounces).

SO what does this tell us about kosher?  Probably nothing, but maybe…just maybe, it tells us that kosher (from Israel or elsewhere) can be just as good (or dare I say better) than non-kosher products.

My only hope, and the reason I write this post today, is that I am tired of hearing people say “I am not kosher, I don’t need/want/like that kosher product”.  ESPECIALLY when it comes to kosher wine, which is made THE SAME WAY as all other wine (sans the unnecessary animal byproducts).  Instead I wish people would perceive kosher similarly to how they perceive organic, sustainable, animal friendly, etc – a product that had special consideration given to a specific set of criteria.

Speaking of kosher wine, I attended a truly amazing kosher wine tasting last night.  Oshra Tishbi of Tishbi wines together with a representative from Tishbi’s US importer (Admiral imports), showed off some lovely wines as well as hand crafted olive oils and fruit preserves (the “sangria” flavor was spectacular).  I’ll hopefully be writing more about this tasting in the coming days.

Happy KOSHER wine tasting!

WTG