What is Kosher?

Kosher is a code of Jewish dietary regulation. People choose to follow kosher guidelines for various reasons — religious, dietary, and health-related, among others. When asked why we sell kosher chocolates, the answer is simple: kosher-certified ingredients undergo a higher level of stringent oversight and inspection.

Much like chocolate that is certified organic and fair trade, kosher certification adds an extra layer of assurance that we are using only the best ingredients in our chocolates. For us, and our customers, that matters.

How Does Kosher Certification Work?

Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions:

• Who is your kosher-certifying body? Star K.

• What is the difference between Star K and Star D? Star K is the certifying body our company goes through to attain kosher certification. Star D is the label we are allowed to put on our products, stating that they are kosher and considered dairy products.

• Why does your hot chocolate have a different kosher logo on it (U with a circle around it)? Our hot chocolate is produced in a separate facility from our main factory, and this facility is certified through the Orthodox Union, also known as “OU.” Star K and OU recognize each other as reputable kosher certifying agencies.

• If your dark chocolate doesn’t contain dairy, why is it Star D certified and not Pareve? “Pareve” (or parve) describes a product which is considered to contain neither meat nor dairy. Even though our dark chocolate doesn’t contain dairy, it’s processed on the same machines as milk chocolate. So there’s a chance that trace amounts of dairy may be present.

• How often does the rabbi come? Once per month.

• What does this process entail? The rabbi must confirm that all of the items we claim to be kosher certified match what is in our factory stock. He ensures that our raw materials are kosher, as well as our facility and processes — only then can our finished products be certified kosher.

• Are there any products you sell online which are not kosher certified? At this time, our vanilla marshmallows, Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels 7pc, and Milk Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels 20pc are not certified kosher. Everything else is kosher!

• Do you have chocolates for Hanukkah? Yes, we do — check out our selection of Hanukkah Chocolates and gifts.