Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio

The main categories in kashrut are meat and dairy. We keep these apart, using separate dishes and utensils for each.

Where does fish fit in? It’s not dairy. And even though fish are animals, Jewish law doesn’t treat fish like meat. Fish is actually placed in the pareve category—neither meat nor dairy—along with fruits and vegetables, bread, water, and things like that.

Like all pareve foods, fish can be eaten on meat dishes or on dairy dishes.

Still, the Gemara says that you shouldn’t eat fish and meat together, mainly due to various health concerns (Pesahim 76b). Based on this, the Shulhan Arukh says that fish and meat may not be eaten together (Yoreh De’ah 116).

However, the Magen Avraham (173:2) observes that eating fish and meat together doesn’t seem to be dangerous today, and suggests that things might have changed. Many halakhic authorities, though, believe that the law of the Gemara remains even if there is no known danger. So, while people don’t really have separate dishes for fish and meat, and will even eat them at the same meal, you will often see people eat them separately and not use the same fork, knife, or plate for both (unless they have been cleaned).

Beit Yosef (Yoreh De’ah 87) says you should not eat fish together with dairy. However, most commentaries (Darkhei Moshe, Shakh) say this is based on a mistake, and that the Gemara’s warning only applies to fish and meat together. Pass the tuna melt, please!

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