Halal Food – Is It Really Better?
There is a lot of buzz about halal meat nowadays and it has been considered the healthiest meat to consume. If you become curious enough about halal meat (if you had never heard of it before), let’s see what it is.
What is Halal?
Halal is an Arabic word meaning anything legal or acceptable. With the term legal, it refers to the law of Shariya (Islamic law).
To be halal, the animal should be positioned so as to face towards Mecca and its throat should be cut while it is still alive and then offering the slaughter to Allah.
What is the Purpose of Halal?
When the animal is killed while it is still alive, all the blood can be drained out from its body making it less prone to microbial growth and decomposition of meat. Halal also retains the desired taste of the meat.
Halal method is also more humane for the animal as it gives least pain to the animal.
Halal Vs Haram
Haram way of slaughtering is prohibited and against the law of Sharia. All foods are halal barring the following (these are considered to be haram):
- Pork and its by-products
- Animal not slaughtered properly
- Animal dead before slaughtering
- Intoxicants and alcoholic drinks
- Carnivorous animals, certain other animals and birds of prey
- Food in which there are any of the above foods
Halal meat tastes better than haram according to its supporters. The reason given for this is the methods which use stunning results in the release lactic acid in the animal’s body which speeds up the process of decomposition because lactic acid makes meat less resistant to microbes that cause decomposition. Lactic acid adversely affects the taste of the meat.
On the contrary, halal meat is more hygienic, healthier, more tender and more flavorful, and also stays fresh for longer due to the absence of blood.
Halal meat is economical too, because it comes in larger quantity by weight as there is no blood included in the weight. So, you get more meat.
If you are convinced by the concept of halal, that it is purer, hygienic and humane, you can start eating halal food. You can bring halal meat at home and prepare various meat delicacies. Or you can relish it in halal restaurants, like the famous Halal Restaurant in London, L’OUD DES EURASIE, where you can relish an incredibly amazing array of culinary wonders, in the peaceful and pleasant setting of Langton Street. Images in this article are their courtesy.
