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Many Caribbean caterers use Halal meat for their dishes.
This is not necessarily for religious reasons but publicising
this fact could be an extra selling point to all nationalities.
This article explains the terms Halal, and Kosher. Halal
Foodways
Chef Darryl L. Mickler
As Professional Chefs, we have the opportunity
of serving guests from around the world. This opportunity can also bring
challenges and these challenges may be particularly acute for the
professional chef. We are regularly called on to provide options for our
guests with dietary allergies, medical dietary restrictions and any number
of personal diets. However, one area where many chefs are challenged is in
developing menus and options for our guests whose dietary requirements are
based on religious or ethical systems that are unfamiliar to us. One such
area is the set of dietary laws to which the observant Muslim must adhere.
The halal requirements are stringent but, for the chef who is willing to
take the time to learn them and plan ahead, they are very manageable in the
average kitchen.
What is Halal?
Halal is an Arabic word which is translated most commonly as "lawful,
permitted or acceptable." In the context of food the term "halal
foods" is often used. This means, in context, the foods that are lawful
or permitted for the observant to consume.
The opposite of halal is Haram. This term means prohibited. Items
that are designated as haram are totally forbidden in any context and for
any use.
A third term which is often used is Mushbooh. Items that are
designated as mashbooh are items whose status is doubtful or questionable.
Muslims who are exceedingly strict may reject all mashbooh items , certain
sects within the faith will also reject some mashbooh items that other
Muslims would accept.
The Quran on food:
"O men, eat the lawful and good things from what is in the earth, and
follow not in the footsteps of the devil. Surely he is an open enemy to
you." 2:168
The first condition of Halal is that food and drink be lawful. The lawful
things encompasses not only the non-forbidden items, but it also means that
the items must have been lawfully acquired; they could not have been
acquired through theft cheating…etc.
The second condition is that the items be good (taygib). This term has the
sense of pleasant, delightful, delicious or sweet in addition to the sense
of pure and clear. Items which offend the taste are not to be used. The
object of the prohibitions is clear in the final section of the passage. The
Quran links the physical and spiritual sides of man. Errors committed in the
physical realm are reflected in the spiritual.
There are two additional general guidelines on diet. They are an
interdiction on excess (7:31) and an interdiction on self-denial and
asceticism (5:87)
The Prohibitions:
The items which are designated Haram are clearly expressed in the Quran.
Modern foodstuffs are determined to be Halal or Haram (or Mushbooh) based on
the interpretation and extrapolation of the following passages and in some
instances from references to details from the life and preferences of
Mohammed.
The Quran states:
" O you who believe, eat of the good things that We have provided you
with, and give thanks to Allah, if it is he Whom you serve. He has forbidden
you only that which dies of itself, and blood and the flesh of swine, and
that over which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked. Then
whoever is driven to necessity, not desiring or exceeding the limit, no sin
is upon him; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (2:172,173)
1. 'That which dies of itself"
Included in this category are: "The strangled animal, and that beaten
to death and that killed by a fall and that killed by goring with the horn,
and that which wild beasts have eaten."
2. Blood.
This prohibition mirrors the Noachian, Levitical and early Christian
prohibitions on the use of blood as a food. This typifies the
interrelationships of the "People of the Book.". The avoidance of
blood is also critical to observant Jews.
3. Swine.
"Say: I do not find, in that which has been revealed to me, anything to
be prohibited for the consumer to eat, unless it be carrion, or flowing
blood, or the flesh of the pig for it is unclean…" (6:145)
This is, of course, also forbidden to observant Jews.
The three prohibitions are known as prohibitions of uncleanness. The next
prohibition is quite different and is arguably the most important concept.
It is Fisq, a transgression of the divine commandment. The first three
prohibitions directly effect the intellectual/physical/moral nature of man.
The fourth prohibition directly effects the spiritual nature of man.
4. "…and that over which any other name than that of Allah has been
invoked." and "…what is sacrificed on stones set up." (5:3)
In this case the prohibition arises not because of intrinsic uncleanness, as
with carrion, but because the use of this type of food would associate one
with idolatry. The Islamic religion fiercely opposes idolatry and use of
images. This prohibition also addresses the slaughter of animals. The
particular requirements of Halal slaughter are very specific.
Other prohibition that have arisen are either according to tradition, the
writings of Islamic jurists or based on what Mohammed personally rejected or
prohibited. These items are:
· All beasts of prey.
· All birds of prey
· Tame asses but not wild ones.
· The mule, but not the horse.
· Vermin: Rats, snakes and scorpions. If they are poisonous or then they
are harmful, therefore forbidden.
· Weasel, pelicans, kites, insects (other than locusts), carrion eating
birds, hyenas, foxes, elephants and crocodiles.
· There is disagreement over the status of the lizard.
Eating raw onions or garlic, if one is going to mosque or out in public, is
also discouraged lest one give offense to others.
Slaughter
"And eat not of that on which Allah's name has not been mentioned, and
that surely is a transgression." (6:122)
According to Islamic law, all animals that are allowed as food must be
slaughtered in such a manner that the blood flows out. The preferred method
is to cut the windpipe, esophagus and jugular. As noted above, when the
slaughter occurs it is necessary that the name of God be invoked. The
specific form is "Bismillah, Allahu akbar."
It is interesting in that the Quran expressly allows hunting. One may hunt
with a trained animal or bird as well as by bow and arrow (bullets are
extrapolated to be arrows). In this instance when one lets off the bird or
animal or releases the arrow or fires the gun the "Bismillah" must
be uttered beforehand. One cannot kill game by throwing stones or other
blunt trauma as it does not cause "blood to flow." Electroshock
methods of killing are disallowed.
There are also traditional directives as to the condition of the animal
prior to slaughter. Animals lacking the major portion of the tail or ear are
not permissible nor is an animal with a stillborn fetus.
The food (slaughter) of other "followers of the book' is expressly
allowed in the Quran. Tradition also allows that the animal slaughtered by
the "followers of the book" (Ahl al-Kitab). Some Islamic jurists
add the condition (Zuhri) that if the slaughtered is heard to utter a name
other than that of God, then the flesh is not to be eaten. However, as noted
above , modern western slaughtering methods generally make non-Halal
certified meats unacceptable to Muslims. The allowance for food from the
other "followers" reflected the similar slaughtering methods that
were practiced among the three faiths, particularly among the Jews.
In cases where the meat is questionable as to its ritual sanctity there are
several traditions (Dhabihat al-Arab, 'A'-ishah) which indicate a certain
pragmatic liberality of view when one did not know whether the name of God
had been mentioned or not. The prophets reply to the question was: 'Mention
the name of Allah over it and eat it." (Bu, 72:21)
"Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food, as a provision for
you." (5:96)
Fish and other "game of the sea" need not be slaughtered as
described. They may also be used irrespective of who caught them. There is
some disagreement as to whether shrimp are fish (samak) in the view of the
Quran. Frogs, crabs and lobster are not "fish" as they live both
inside and outside the water. There is some disagreement about whether fish
that are found dead may be eaten. The apparent majority view is that they
are lawful.
Beverages:
The prohibited beverages are:
· Wine, which is the juice of grapes that has fermented and emitted froth.
· Grape juice which has been boiled until less than two-thirds of it
disappear and it becomes intoxicating (Tila). If more than 2/3 has been
boiled away it becomes acceptable.
· An infusion of dates that ferments and becomes intoxicating (Sakar).
· An infusion of raisin that ferments and becomes intoxicating (Naqui)
The fermented juice of dates and raisins is acceptable if it has been
cooked. There is some allowance, among some jurists (Abu Hanifah and Abu
Yusuf) for the drinking the fermented juice of honey, wheat, barley and corn
without cooking. The caveat is that it not be drunk for fun or amusement and
the Muslim be reasonably sure that it will not intoxicate him.
When wine turns to vinegar, it becomes permissible.
These are the basics of the Halal requirements. While the basic dietary laws
are very clear and are easy to follow, the food technology of today can
create a product that is far removed from its origins. It can be very
difficult to determine whether common food products are allowable. As
mentioned earlier, any non-halal food items would make the item unacceptable
(Haram).
According to the Muslim Consumer Guide the following
companies produce acceptable foods. As products change this may not always
be the case, the chef must still be aware of what is in the product if he is
going to serve it to his Muslim guests.
In addition to the products noted below Halal certified meats and poultry
are available through purchasing with sufficient notice.
Nestle: No products contain animal by-products. Lecithin is from soybeans.
Kellogg: Gelatin is derived from beef/veal in their "Pop-Tart"
line.
Frank Food: QT frosting
Proctor and Gamble: Duncan Hines Cake Mixes
Great Atlantic and Pacific CO: A&P Creamer
Topco Assoc.: Food Club non-dairy creamer
Penn Maid Food: Natural and Swiss Yogurt (gelatin is derived from calf skin)
Jolly Rancher Candies
American Home Foods: Crunch n' Munch
Entenmans: all products except those containing cheese or marshmallows
Huber Baking: Roman Meal Breads
Pepperidge Farm: Rolls, Breads, Cakes. The layer cakes made by Pepperidge
Farm are unacceptable.
Pillsbury: 1896 Brand Buttermilk Biscuits
Sunshine Biscuits: all products
Baskin Robbins: All products except those containing marshmallows.
Meadow Gold: Ice creams except those containing marshmallow
Kosher and Halal and the commercial kitchen
The kosher system of dietary laws appears on the surface to be similar to
the Halal regulations. This can be misleading as they are distinctly
different in very important areas. The chef cannot assume that Kosher will
be acceptable to the Muslim consumer. Distinct differences include:
Meat: Kosher, generally, allows only the meats of the forequarter. The
ritual slaughter performed is likely to be unacceptable to the Muslim of
today. The kosher slaughter ritual distinctly does not include the
"name of God." It is true that the Quran allows for use of animals
slaughtered by the other "peoples of the book", however this
reflects the practices of the time when the Quran was written, not modern
practice.
Additionally there are items forbidden in Kosher cookery (trefah) which may
be acceptable in Halal cookery. These may include: rabbit, wild duck, wild
hen, shellfish…etc. Some items, as noted for meat, that are Kosher are
distinctly Haram such as: cheeses, gelatin, wine.
A salient difference between kosher and halal is the absence of regulations
concerning food combinations or the stringent requirements that pertain to
the physical kitchen. Cross contamination of halal and haram is certainly
and issue, but Halal guest requests can readily be accommodated by the chef
who has sufficient knowledge and respect for these traditions.
For additional information the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council has a very
good site at http://www.ifanca.org/
Source: www.unichef.com
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