Post By: Amir Naderi, Peer Mentor 2022
The Arabic word halal, which simply means “lawful” or “permitted,” usually refers to what is permitted by Islamic law. It’s the reverse of haram, which is Arabic for forbidden or forbidden. As with all Islamic laws, certain things are quite clearly halal or haram, while others may be up to interpretation.
Halal is comparable to the Jewish idea of kosher in terms of food and drink. However, the more general definition of halal and haram encompasses all facets of life.
Non-Muslims occasionally only understand the term “halal” in relation to its application to animal killing. This is primarily due to the fact that depending on how the animal was killed, meat can either be halal or haram. Because of this, most non-Muslim nations typically mark halal meat as such, although other products don’t always need to. For instance, fruits and vegetables are always halal, hence non-Muslims are rarely informed of this.
Halal Meat
Meat must be killed using the practice known as dhabiha in order for it to be labeled halal. That entails severing the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe to drain the whole blood supply from the corpse. The eating of blood is forbidden in Islam. A Muslim must perform the tasmiya dedication or shahada during this process.
If you are keeping halal, you want a taste of home or you are even curious about how halal meat tastes you are in luck! UCI is located in Irvine, a very diversely-populated neighborhood and there are many ethnic grocery stores and restaurants which provide halal meat.
First of all, let’s talk about your best buddy the website Zabihah.com. This website has most halal grocery stores and restaurants that serve halal food. It will show you all locations with user-based reviews.
When it comes to restaurants, there are many options in close vicinity to the campus. For examples Hen house which has most Persian dishes along with a really good rotisserie chicken. Another example is Doner G that is a Turkish street food chain restaurant that has great Doner bowls and wraps. If you think you can only find middle eastern halal food, you are wrong! You can find many international cuisines. There are Fried chicken restaurants like Dave’s hot chicken which is also a chain and even halal Korean BBQ. So if you are craving something specific chances are you can find it online.
For grocery stores, Wholesome choice is the closest to campus but there are more like Mission ranch, Jordan market, and Super Irvine. All these stores have produce from many countries, dedicated butchery, Deli, and even in-store restaurants. The in-store restaurant has great portions, quality, and prices for the times that you feel lazy and don’t want to cook! Additionally, even Costco carries some halal options! Their lamb chop and rack of lamb are imported from Australia and are really good.