Eating foods that mimic or taste like treif food? | Rabbi Stewart Weiss | Beit Midrash

Torah Portion and Tanach
Re'e

קטגוריה משנית

Answer: Yes! There is no reason not to eat these foods (e.g. Bakos or beef plate, both of which simulate the taste of bacon, or mock shrimp) etc. In fact, the Gemara (Chulin 109b) says, "Whatever Hashem has forbidden, He permitted something else just like it;" (to indicate that it is not the taste itself which is the reason for the prohibition). The Gemara then gives examples: While eating blood is forbidden, we may eat animal liver (which is made of dried blood & tastes like blood); pork, of course, is treif, but we may eat the brains of a certain fish in the carp family that has a similar taste; milk & meat may not be eaten together, but we may eat the cow’s udder, which contains the milk; it was considered a great delicacy). There should be an indication that these items are not the "real thing," (so as to avoid any problem of marit ayin) & so, particularly in restaurants, they should be called by a name that clearly conveys their non-treif status, such as "Phonee-shrimp" or "Fakin’ Bacon.". (Courtesy Talmudic College of Florida)