I'm fairly sure you've seen the word "kosher" on food products (kosher salt is a common one). Halal, not so much. So, with the help of my Muslim friend Aliya, I have compiled some information on the two fairly similar terms as they relate to meat production.Interesting point numero uno--kosher food does not have to be blessed by a Rabbi in order to become kosher. Kosher actually comes from the Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) in the Torah. The Torah is the holy book of Judaism, for those who have not heard of it. There are 8 main laws in the Kashrut, but here's the basic breakdown:
1. You can eat any land mammal that has cloven hooves and chews its cud (ruminants, like cows, for example); any marine animal with fins and scales (fishies, but no shellfish); and any bird not on the Torah's forbidden birdie list. Note that this means you CAN'T eat any product that comes from forbidden animals (no animal fat from pigs, no eggs from birds, etc).
2. The meat you eat must be slaughtered in accordance with Jewish law. The particular ritual is known as the shechitah. It is performed by a practicing Jewish man who is an expert in Kashrut. During the shechitah, the animal's jugular vein and surrounding blood vessels are slit so quickly that there is not enough time for the animal to feel pain. The process also allows blood to drain from the animal.
3. Because animal blood is believed by Jews to contain the life of the animal, it cannot be eaten according to Kashrut. So...it either has to be drained out, broiled, salted, or soaked out within 72 hours after slaughter. Oh, and eating eggs with blood spots in them is way non-Kosher (I had the unfortunate experience of watching my mom crack a bloody egg onto a frying pan once; it was bizarre, and it's probably not very sanitary anyways to eat it whether you're Jewish or not).
4. Certain fats and nerves are not allowed to be eaten, the chelev and the sciatic nerve. In order to get around this, most Kosher butchers cut them out or sell the parts containing them to non-Kosher butchers.
5. Don't eat fruits and veggies that have bugs on them, or that have had bugs on them. Six-legged beings are not Kosher, though God would probably forgive any Jew who was forced to live off of bugs if stranded on a desert isle somewhere.
6. Dairy products and meat should not mix: not at the same meal, not on the same plate, not eaten with the same utensils.
7. So, Kosher applies to kitchen materials as well. Like the mixing dairy and meat rule, you shouldn't use the same dishwasher/towel/utensils to cook/clean stuff that is non-Kosher as you do with stuff that is Kosher.
8. There is such a thing as a Jewish grape. Don't say I'm being sarcastic, because I'm not. Kashrut says Kosher grapes are grapes made by Jews. Think of all the wine references in the Old Testament/Torah and you'll understand the religious significance.
Kosher, obviously, is the Jewish dietary restriction. Halal, which I didn't know existed until I lived next door to two amazingly wonderful Muslim girls last year, is the Islamic version. There are 6 Do Not Eat restrictions in the Qu'ran (Islamic holy book):
1. Pork, horses (teach your kids that eating glue is NOT Halal), rabbits, and anything that's genetically similar. In other words, animal fat and gelatin are out of the question.
2. Organs containing blood.
3. Animals that have not been sacrificed in the name of Allah
4. Animals that have been stunned before being slaughtered (that's a USDA regulation, so it's a serious issue when buying meat. Pretty much anything that is not certified Halal or Kosher has been stunned)
5. Animals that have not bled after being slain (so, this one gets me--I guess you shouldn't eat things that died of natural causes, poisoning, rabies...)
6. Animals offered to religious idols (Aliya: idols = polytheism = worshipping more than one God = not Islamic)
Exceptions to the above are liver, spleen, seafood, and grasshoppers (exception or not, I am highly unlikely to ever eat a grasshopper).
Aliya found me this information on Halal slaughter. It's a lot like shechitah in that the person slaughtering the animal should be a practicing Muslim who is an expert in food laws. The big difference is that unlike Kosher meat, Halal meat must be blessed by saying "Bismillah" right before the animal becomes meat. "Bismillah" means "In the Name of Allah." Like the Qu'ran states, the animal cannot be stunned, so the actual slaughter method is very similar to shechitah. A sharp blade must sever the trachea, esophagus, and main arteries/veins in the neck.
It's up to you and your religion, obviously, if you follow either of these food guidelines; and I know you can eat Kosher foods if you're Muslim as well. But I know from living next to Aliya and Amina last year, finding Halal meat is pretty difficult in areas with a small Islamic population. So, in honor of these two ladies, here are a very few Halal/Kosher approved things to eat:
- Sour Patch Kids. They are gelatin free. Aliya lived off of these last year. It was awesome.
- Five Guys Burger and Fries. Kosher hot dogs for everyone!!
- Oriental Grocery on Prince Avenue in Athens...never been there, but I've driven past it so I know it exists (the link here is to a huge Halal database...just FYI)
- Hebrew National: hot dogs, deli meats, sausages, and even condiments
Okay...so basically that's all I could find. But Google Halal or Kosher meat, and you'll come up with a lot of sites that are more than willing to ship you some. It looks like Atlanta has a lot of places to eat with Halal and Kosher meals...Athens and Augusta, not so much. That's honestly not a huge surprise!!
