MORE FROM A SOAKED AND SALTED MIND

Recently we were walking in Brooklyn along one of the main drags of a largely Jewish area. Both sides of the street were lined with all manner of stores catering to the Jews in the area. Then, all of sudden, there it was: the sign on a fruit store read Glatt Kosher!

We were so excited. We guessed that the fruit there would be totally smooth- no bumps! But, no, that was not the meaning. According to the store owner, the word Glatt on his sign meant that he was rigorously kosher.

That one was sort of hard to figure out. He carried no Israeli produce which obviated some problems. He had a sign to that effect, too. So what did it mean to say that he was Glatt?

Frankly, it was an abuse of the term. Glatt means smooth and refers to the lungs of the animal. It has nothing to do wth fruits and veggies.

So where are we now? We have glatt meat that is of dubious glatticity and bumpy veggies that claim to be glatt. Hmmm, sometimes it seems that glatt does not stand for much anymore, no?
(RJR)