Used to describe food that is neutral under the laws of kashrut. Parve foods can be eaten with either fleshik (meat) or milchik (milk) provided they haven't been contaminated by the other. Once parve food is mixed with fleshik or milchik foods or cooking utensils, it then falls under that category. Parve usually refers to fruits, vegetables, grains, and other non-animal based foods, but oddities like fish, eggs, and grasshoppers are considered parve as well. Screwy, ain't it?