Halal
Halal means permitted under Islamic law. In food it rules out pork and alcohol and requires meat from animals slaughtered in a set way.
Also called Halaal.
Halal is Arabic for "permitted". In food it means what Muslims may eat under Islamic dietary law. The opposite is haram, "forbidden". Pork, blood, alcohol and meat from animals that were not slaughtered in the prescribed way are haram. Muslims follow different schools of law and different scholars, so practice varies, and many people buy meat with a halal certification they trust.
How to use it
When you cook for someone who eats halal:
- Use meat and poultry from a halal butcher or with a halal label. The animal is slaughtered by a Muslim with a cut to the throat and a prayer, and the blood is drained. Views differ on whether stunning before slaughter is allowed.
- Leave out pork in every form, including bacon, ham, lard and pork gelatin.
- Leave out wine, beer and spirits.
- Most scholars accept all seafood. Some, especially in the Hanafi school, accept only fish, so ask.
- Vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, eggs and milk are halal.
Substitutes
- Gelatin: agar, or gelatin certified halal, such as fish or halal beef gelatin.
- Wine in a sauce: stock with a splash of vinegar or grape juice.
- Mirin and rice wine: rice vinegar with a little sugar.
- Bacon or pancetta: smoked beef or turkey from a halal source, or smoked paprika for the smoky flavor.
Common mistakes
- Thinking you can cook off the alcohol. Cooking removes some alcohol, not all, and many Muslims avoid it in cooking anyway.
- Missing alcohol in vanilla extract, Chinese cooking wine and some sauces. Views differ on small amounts in flavorings, so ask the person you cook for.
- Missing pork gelatin in sweets, marshmallows, desserts and some yogurts.
- Using the same grill, pan or board for pork and halal food.
- Assuming cheese is always fine. Some people avoid cheese made with animal rennet from non-halal sources.
In recipes
A recipe tagged halal uses no pork and no alcohol. It assumes you buy halal meat and check processed ingredients. There is no single legal definition of halal in the EU, the UK or the US, and certification bodies follow different rules, so check which standard a label follows if that matters to you.
Related terms
- KosherKosher food follows Jewish dietary law, which limits the animals you can eat, keeps meat and dairy apart and sets rules for how food is made.
- GelatinGelatin is a setting agent made from animal collagen, sold as sheets or powder. How to bloom it, dissolve it and get a smooth set every time.
- AgarAgar is a plant-based gelling agent made from red seaweed. It sets jellies firmly at room temperature and works where gelatin cannot.
- MirinMirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine for cooking. It adds gentle sweetness and shine to teriyaki, glazes, broths and dressings. How to swap it.
- Cook off the alcoholTo cook off the alcohol is to simmer wine or spirits so the harsh taste fades. Here is how long it takes and why some alcohol always stays in the dish.
- VegetarianA vegetarian diet leaves out meat, poultry and fish. Most vegetarians eat eggs and dairy, but hidden animal products like gelatin and rennet slip in.