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Is Conger eel kosher?

No — Conger eel is not kosher under Jewish dietary law.

Not kosher. Conger eels are true eels with smooth, scaleless bodies. Distinct from moray eels but similarly disqualified.

Conger eel (Conger conger)

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Scientific name
Conger conger
Also known as
Conger, European conger, Sea conger
Category
scaleless
Fins & scales
Fins ✓ , no scales ✗
Kosher status
Not kosher

About Conger eel

Large marine eels found along Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, sometimes weighing over 100 kg. The daggertooth pike conger (Muraenesox cinereus) also known as the darkfin pike eel in Australia, to distinguish it from the related pike-eel (Muraenesox bagio), is a species of eel in the pike conger family, Muraenesocidae. They primarily live on soft bottoms in marine and brackish waters down to a depth of 800 m (2,600 ft), but may enter freshwater. They commonly grow to about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length, but may grow as long as 2.2 m (7.2 ft). Daggertooth pike congers occur in the Red Sea, on the coast of the northern Indian Ocean, and in the West Pacific from Indochina to Japan. A single specimen was also reported in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 1982. The daggertooth pike conger (Muraenesox cinereus) also known as the darkfin pike eel in Australia, to distinguish it from the related pike-eel (Muraenesox bagio), is a species of eel in the pike conger family, Muraenesocidae. They primarily live on soft bottoms in marine and brackish waters down to a depth of 800 m (2,600 ft), but may enter freshwater. They commonly grow to about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length, but may grow as long as 2.2 m (7.2 ft). Daggertooth pike congers occur in the Red Sea, on the coast of the northern Indian Ocean, and in the West Pacific from Indochina to Japan. A single specimen was also reported in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 1982. Culinary uses Daggertooth pike conger is a major commercial species, with annual catches reaching about 350,000 tonnes in recent years. The spot reporting the largest landings was Taiwan. It is eaten in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as hamo (ハモ, 鱧). In the Kansai Region, hamo no kawa (pickled conger skins) is a traditional delicacy, and pike conger is a common ingredient in some types of kamaboko (fish cake). It is also frequently canned and exported to Asian markets. Parasites As with other fish, the daggertooth...

Kosher ruling

Not kosher. Conger eels are true eels with smooth, scaleless bodies. Distinct from moray eels but similarly disqualified.

Source: Orthodox Union; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0); Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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