Halal Cooking

Halal is an Islamic term referring to anything that is permissible under Islamic Shari'ah law. In regards to food, halal refers to things that have been made permissible to eat and drink. Islamic dietary laws expressly forbid the consumption of alcohol, blood, pork, and carrion. As such, Muslims who follow Shari'ah are required to abstain from eating these substances, even in minute traces. Halal cooking, in a broad sense, is food preparation that incorporates these dietary guidelines.
Halal(permissible) foods is defined by shariah (Islamic Jurisprudence) as the foods that are permissible to consume by muslims. In shariah, consumable animals/creatures are broken down into five categories (land (domesticated, non-domesticated), water (fish, other seafoods), birds (with claws, without claws), and land vermin). Due to the lengthy proofs and opinions in the light of Shariah, for simplistic reason, we're just discussing about the permissible land-domesticated animals. In the US, the meats of domesticated animals sold at the Supermarkest are pork, beef, lamb, goat, rabbit, and chicken. Allah (God) in the Quran has clearly prohibited the consumption of porks and its by products. Besides pork, all meats mentioned above are halal to eat if the five conditions of slaughtering are met.
To make a meat permissible to consume in Islam, the animals must be halal and it must meets the five conditions of slaughterings. The conditions are: 1)Slaughterer must be muslim or the people of the books (jews, christians) who believe in God. 2)Slaughter must be able to make intention, meaning he/she must intent to slaughter in the name of Allah or God. Allah in the Arabic language means God, the One God. 3)The instrument used to slaughter must be sharp that kills by cutting, not weight. 4)Veins that need to be cut are the two jugular veins, esophagus, and trachea. Scholars in Islam said it's also permissible if the esophagus, trachea, and one jugular vein are cut. 5) Slaughterer must mention the name of God. In Islam, slaughterer says "Bismillah" which means in the name of God before. Scholars in Islam by unanimous consensus agreed that the slaughterer can mentioned the name of God in any language.
In summary, to make a meat halal requires that the animals are halal and that its slaughtering must meet the conditions prescribed by the Shariah. If one of the condition are not met, then the meat is not halal. Also, if the animal is halal, its byproducts are halal to consume by muslims. On a side note, halal animals and its byproducts are halal. All seafoods are halal to consume in Islam. The Hanifie School of Jurisprudence in Islam is on the opinion that only fishes are halal, and the other seafoods are not halal.
Halal cuisine is when the dishes are created with halal meats and ingredients. As long as the meats and its ingredient are halal, it's halal no matter how you cook it. Some of the ingredients that are not halal are alcoholic drinks such as wines and all the byproducts of pork such as gelatin.
Development of Halal Cooking
Any cuisine, from Asia to the Americas, is considered halal if it has been prepared according to Shari'ah guidelines. However, the natural progression of halal cuisine has been through the spread of Islam, since many cultures have their own dietary guidelines or choose not to conform to these restrictions. As a result, countries in the Middle East, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Indian subcontinent where Muslims make up a large percentage of the population boast the greatest variety of readily available halal meals.
Halal Cuisine
Unlike most other dietary customs, halal is governed by different interpretations of Islamic ethics and not cultural heritage. Not being limited to one ethnic group or region, halal cuisine stands out for its fusion of flavors, while being fundamentally devoid of ingredients impermissible under Shari'ah law. Other cuisines generally evolve through an interplay of cultures and exposure to different customs, but halal cooking can also develop within a solitary culture. As more people embrace Islam they prefer to adapt the tastes and dishes they were raised with to halal guidelines. Thus, while contact and collaboration with other peoples has also influenced halal cooking, halal cuisine is also cultivated by molding traditional dishes to halal standards. This has led to an increase in people from various cultures, such as American, Italian, and Mexican cultures wishing to modify familiar dishes to Islamic standards.
In an effort to make these modifications themselves, many Muslims, especially those with an American palate, turn to halal certification organizations. Although not all mainstream foods meet Islamic standards, many often do. For example, products that do not contain pork as a main ingredient but have byproducts such as lard are also unlawful for Muslims seeking to follow Shari'ah law. Animal byproducts and ingredients used minimally in processed foods can be difficult to trace . While some of those items may have ingredients Muslims might find objectionable, often many do not.
Organizations such as Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), Halal Advocates of America, Muslim Consumer Group (MCG), and Zabihah.com are vital in keeping Muslims up-to-date on which common, mainstream products they should avoid and which they can buy. IFANCA, MCG, and Halal Advocates of America have certification processes detailed on their websites that help Muslims class different supermarket brands and products. Often, these organizations not only provide information on which products are halal-friendly, but also which specific ingredients consumers should avoid. Muslim consumers may see “chocolate liquor” as an ingredient and, thrown off by its name, think it is a type of alcohol. However, these organizations make it easy for consumers to find out whether this is truly the case through their websites. Other sites, such as Zabihah.com, inform Muslims which restaurants are zabiha-certified. Zabiha, also spelled dhabiha, refers to the Islamic method of animal slaughter. For Muslims who make a distinction between halal and zabiha, halal indicates that the animal is not pig, carrion, or any animal impermissible to eat under Shari'ah law. Zabiha, however, indicates that the animal is both permissible to eat and has also been slaughtered according to the zabiha protocol. Thus, these sites allow Muslim consumers to ascertain which foods, brands and restaurants meet their dietary requirements.
Nonetheless, the process of examining products can be time-consuming and painful. Oftentimes, specific brands or companies are not entirely halal or not halal, and the consumer is forced to painstakingly investigate into every individual product. Thus, consumers may prefer to make their own, homemade foods. Along with this, money-conscious Americans in general are turning to more cost-effective home cooking, and seek a fusion of cultures unavailable in restaurants. The result is a need for experienced food enthusiasts who can take different dishes and recreate them based on halal cooking guidelines.
Cooking Halal in Practice
While there is a growing demand for halal cuisine, cooking halal requires both knowledge of halal standards and culinary skill. Emerging on the scene is food writer, recipe developer and chef, Yvonne Maffei. Founder of My Halal Kitchen, Yvonne is a pioneer on the halal cooking scene. The first website of its kind, My Halal Kitchen showcases recipes from all over the world substituting halal-only ingredients. In addition to adhering to halal guidelines, My Halal Kitchen also stands out for its dedication to healthy and economical cooking. Yvonne teaches Muslims how to stock a halal pantry, and offers healthy, seasonal, sustainable, economical cooking tips and in-home cooking classes. Her website also features reviews and methods of recreating dishes from mainstream restaurants. She also discusses issues related to eating and cooking halal on her show Cooking Halal on Blog Talk Radio. By intertwining the development of halal cooking with the global trends of healthy, economical, diversified cooking, Yvonne has maintained the integrity of halal cuisine while bringing halal cuisine and cooking to a mainstream American audience.

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