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Is Bonito kosher?

Yes — Bonito is kosher under Jewish dietary law.

Bonito has fins and scales, which are the two requirements for kosher fish under Jewish dietary law (Leviticus 11:9-12).

Bonito (Sarda sarda)

Image: Photo by Sherman Foote Denton · licensed Public domain · source

Scientific name
Sarda sarda
Also known as
Atlantic Bonito, Common Bonito, Katonkel
Habitat
Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black Sea
Kosher status
Kosher

About Bonito

See: Cobia, Mackerels The Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) is a large mackerel-like fish of the family Scombridae. It is common in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea, where it is an important commercial and game fish. The Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) is a large mackerel-like fish of the family Scombridae. It is common in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea, where it is an important commercial and game fish. Description Atlantic bonito belong to a group which have the dorsal fins very near, or separated by a narrow interspace. Its body is completely scaled, with those scales in the pectoral fin area and the lateral line usually larger in size. Bonitos (fishes in the genus Sarda) differ from tuna by their compressed bodies, their lack of teeth on the roof of the mouth, and certain differences in colouration. Atlantic bonito share Atlantic waters with the striped bonito, Sarda orientalis (the Atlantic population of which is sometimes considered a separate species, Sarda velox). The striped bonito has been taken on the Atlantic coast as far north as Cape Cod. It is similar in its habits, but somewhat smaller than the more common Atlantic bonito. The Atlantic bonito can be distinguished from its relative by its dark oblique stripes on the back and with a maxillary only about half as long as the head, whereas the striped bonito has striping on its topside...

Source: kosherfish.co/kosher-fish-list (snapshot 2025-12-19); Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0); Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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