What are Halal Foods

According to the Islamic Dietary Laws, there are three categories of food for Muslims: halal, haram, and mushbooh. Halal is a term describing foods that are lawful for Muslims to consume, according to Islamic dietary laws found in the Quran, Hadith (sayings of the prophet Muhammad) and in the fiqh (jurisprudence) of the Muslim jurists. Haram foods are unlawful and prohibited for Muslims, while mushbooh foods are questionable, and therefore should be avoided.

All foods are halal except for those that are explicitly haram or mushbooh. Haram foods include alcohol and intoxicants, lard, pork products and pork by-products, animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughter, animals killed in the name of anyone but Allah, carnivorous animals, birds or prey, blood and blood by-products, and foods contaminated with any of the above products. The laws surrounding most foods are simple: either the food is allowed, or it isn't, and most of the time, it is.

The laws wax complex, however, when it comes to meat. The aforementioned meats are not allowed, but there is an etiquette concerning meat that is allowed. According to Mohammed Hocine Benkheira, in his article about Islamic taboos and meat in the October-December 2001 edition of Slow Food, domestic animals are superior to game, and fish, rabbit, and goat meat are undesirable. Furthermore, "all carnivores are forbidden, whether quadrupeds or birds, as well as - except in special circumstances - rodents, reptiles, insects except the Acridoidea, or grasshoppers, and equine species except horses, which can theoretically be consumed"(70). Fish is condemned by many Muslims to be indigestible and even harmful, but if nothing else, it is sometimes embarrassing to eat. The goat, too, should be avoided, as it is attached to a hefty load of negative lore. According to Benkheira, the 10th century writer Qutayba wrote that the goat meat was infamous for causing depression and forgetfulness, and stimulating the production of black bile.

The grey area, mushbooh food, is not explicitly outlawed, but is dodgy at best. It includes mono- and di-glycerides (emulsifiers), gelatine, and enzymes. These products are questionable because the origin of some constituents may be unknown, possibly containing products from unacceptable animal sources.

Foods that are definitely halal are plentiful and include: milk, honey, fish, plants (non-intoxicating), fresh or naturally frozen vegetables, fresh or dried fruits, legumes and many nuts (peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.), and grains such as wheat, rye, barley, rice, oats, etc. Cows, sheep, goats, deer, chicken, ducks, game birds, and such meats are halal as long as they are zabihah (slaughtered according to Islamic rites). Although this list is inclusive, Muslims must be careful when eating out, as many commercial food products contain haram products. However, few fast food chains offer some halal items such as chips, various desserts, soft drinks, some sandwiches and salads. There are plentiful specialty stores and restaurants around London that specifically cater to Middle Eastern tastes and halal needs.

It might seem like a formidable hassle to conform to these standards (for instance, many toothpastes and bottled flavour extracts are haram because of their alcoholic contents), but it is necessary to realize that this "list of don'ts" is not arbitrary. There are significant religious and practical reasons for the abstention of all things haram for Muslims. The Quran contains several passages that warn against intoxication, which befogs the mind. The impairment of reason not only has harmful effects on personal health, it can have negative social and familial implications. It is also stated that for a Muslim to stay holy and to have his or her prayers heard, s/he must stay innocent in the eyes of God by keeping with halal foods. In the Quran, Muhammad urges Muslims to partake of the "good things" that have been provided for them.

There are also practical reasons for avoiding haram products. The halal slaughtering process (zabihah) consists of killing the animal quickly with a sharp knife while the name of Allah is muttered. The quick slaughter ensures that the animal's death is not filled with unnecessary pain. Animals which are dead before slaughter are avoided for health reasons-the animal may have succumbed to disease or poisoning. Also, leaving the meat provides food for other animals on the food chain and gives the animal's owner incentive to take care of the animal, so he may properly sell the animal and earn a living. The animal, then, is protected from neglect. Pork, too, is avoided for health reasons because it can host disease, most notably the bacteria trichina.

The Islamic Dietary Laws are not static; as new products are introduced and more information on foods becomes available, the laws change. The Muslim Food Board works on certifying appropriate foods as halal and determining which foods are haram and mushbooh. The process of investigation is complex; the Board investigates all contents of products, the cleaning procedures of production and packing equipment, and conducts site audits of all production/processing sites to verify compliance with the Islamic Dietary Laws. Every aspect of a product is researched-from its raw ingredients to trace ingredients that encounter a product in the manufacturing and packaging processes.

As countless foods are considered permissible under the Islamic Dietary Laws, a halal diet is by no means doomed to be monotonous. On the contrary, halal food can be nutritious, flavourful and diverse. Halal food varies across the map, as each region has its favourite traditional recipes.

For halal recipes such as chewy naan, entrees like Beef Tikka, dal, spice mixes and chutneys online, consult http://www.desicookbook.com. Indian restaurants-offering foods characterized by fiery chiles, the aromatic spices coriander, cardamom and saffron, and cool flavours such as mint and yoghurt-abound in London. See Radha Kapoor-Sharma's discussion of a prized Indian condiment, chutney. For a fascinating discussion of the less familiar but equally gratifying fare of Yemen, see "The Fiery Welcome" by Mario Speranza and Monica Morello. The halal Middle Eastern staple of falafel has many variations-the spicy filling sometimes made with fava beans, and other times with chickpeas. Falafel is delicious and widely popular, discussed in Philip Sinsheimer's article. What's for dessert? The sharp, slightly sweet tahini product, halva, which ranges from crisp and airy-light to dense and spreadable is a good choice.