Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
How to Prepare a Halal Meal. In Islam, a set of dietary regulations determines what you
can eat. Here’s how to serve up a meal according to the basic rules. You will need Approved
ingredients and culinary skill. Step 1. Learn the correct terms. _Halal_ means permissible,
lawful, or recommended in Arabic, while _haram_ means illicit. These two words are often used
to describe foods that are either allowed or forbidden. Step 2. When planning your menu,
keep in mind that Islamic law has several different schools of interpretation. All agree
that fish with scales are _halal_, for example, but there are differing opinions on shellfish.
If you're in doubt about whether a certain food is _halal_, check with the imam at your
mosque. Step 3. Islamic law forbids the consumption of pork. Look carefully at ingredient labels—meatballs,
hot dogs, and even marshmallows can contain pork or pork products. Step 4. Other meats
are not automatically _halal_. Animals must be ritually slaughtered in the name of Allah
with one slit to the throat, and then drained of all blood. This slaughtering method is
called _zabihah_. Step 5. Carnivorous animals, birds of prey, and animals killed by accident
or by another animal are all _haram_. Step 6. Islamic law forbids alcohol consumption,
which includes cooking with alcohol. In recipes calling for wine, beer, or liquor, substitute
mixtures of vegetable stock, fruit juice, and vinegar. Check with an authority before
using vinegar. Some Islamic schools of thought consider it _haram_ because of its alcohol
content. Step 7. Eat as many vegetables and legumes as you want. They’re all _halal_.
Step 8. When making dessert, beware of vanilla, a common ingredient in sweets. Vanilla extract's
alcohol content makes it _haram_, but pure vanilla beans are _halal_. Synthetic vanilla
flavor may be permitted if the manufacturer used no alcohol to process it. Step 9. Once
you've chosen your menu, it's time to buy the ingredients. Many cities offer _halal_
butchers, and your local market may offer _halal_ packaged foods. Different countries
have different certification authorities and symbols. Find out which label is used in your
area. Also look for the word _halal_ written on packaging in English or Arabic. Step 10.
Cook your meal. Once you know your ingredients are _halal_, there are no more restrictions,
and you can adapt any cuisine to these rules. Step 11. Before eating, remember to give thanks
to Allah for the food before you. During the meal, always pass to the right. Step 12. Invite
others to your table. When the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was asked what his favorite
food was, he replied, "The one I am sharing." Did you know As of 2007, _halal_ products
accounted for 12 percent of the global food trade.