With the growing number of Muslim travelers in the world,
many restaurants are trying to entice those travellers to dine in their
restaurants by offering halal restaurants in japan. Halal food can be served by anyone,
including non-Muslim as long as it follows the Islamic guidelines.
So what is Halal Food? Halal is an Arabic word that means
"lawful" or "permissible". Halal Food simply means food
that is permissible to be eaten by Muslim.
What kind of food that is permissible for Muslim to eat?
Based on the holly Quran, there are a few restrictions on
what Muslim cannot eat:
- Pork
- Blood
- Any animal that is not slaughtered in the name of Allah
- Alcohol
Most non-Muslims know that Muslims can't eat pork but very
few people understand that Muslim
Friendly Food Drink is more than pork-free and alcohol-free.
With the exception of seafood, any animal that is not slaughtered in the name
of Allah is not halal. Chickens, cows, lambs, or turkeys can be non-halal when
they are not slaughtered according to the Islamic guidelines. The Islamic
guidelines require animals to be slaughtered by making incisions at the front
of their throats using very sharp knives. The incisions should be deep and cut
into the carotid artery, wind pipe and jugular veins to release all the blood
from the body. The meat can only be consumed/processed after all the blood is
drained from the body. When slaughtering an animal, the head of the animal has
to be aligned to face the Qiblah and the butcher should utter a prayer "in
the name of Allah"
With the growing demand of halal meat worldwide, more
butchers are training to obtain halal certificates. Halal restaurants should
obtain their meat supplies only from certified Halal butcheries.
Apart from getting the meat from Halal suppliers, food
preparation is also important in determining whether or not a dish can be
classified as halal. Any kitchen utensils like knives, spoons, baking tray or
plates that have been previously used to prepare non- Muslim
Friendly Food Drink should not be used unless they have been
cleaned properly according to the Islamic guidelines.
Chefs should also refrain from using alcohol (wine, sherry,
lager, etc) in their sauces. While people may argue that most of the alcohol
will evaporate once the sauces are flambéed or simmered down, a lot of Muslims
will not eat anything that has been "touched" by alcohol.
