Have you ever gone to the grocery store or a restaurant, seen something marked as “halal” and wondered, what does that mean? With Halal food’s rise in popularity, you’re bound to start seeing that word pop up all over the place. In this guide, we’ll explain what halal means and give you the run-down on the world of halal food!
What is Halal Certified?
You may think halal only has something to do with what food you’re eating, but it’s really so much more! It’s also all about how it’s prepared and where it comes from. Halal food is food that adheres to Islamic dietary laws. Per The American Halal Association, the term “Halal” means ‘allowed’ or ‘lawful’ in Arabic. Halal food must meet specific criteria, including no pork, no alcohol, and the ethical treatment of animals. However, more than just food can be halal; it’s a lifestyle too!
The Halal Guidelines
For food to be considered halal, it has to meet certain criteria:
- No Pork Allowed!
- The halal menu completely prohibits pork. Don’t worry pepperoni lovers, we offer a GREAT halal pepperoni; you wouldn’t even know the difference!
- Alcohol-Free
- Halal is all about cleanliness, ethics, and maintaining healthy habits. Therefore, alcohol doesn’t have a place in the halal diet! This even goes for cooking with it.
- Ethical Treatment of Animals
- One of the most important aspects of halal food is that where it comes from must be ethical. Animals being raised for their meat should be treated with respect and care. This isn’t just for part of their lives either; they’re treated well as soon as they enter this world, all the way up until they leave it, including the way they leave it. This makes many mass-farming practices inconsistent with halal ethics, which in turn, can produce healthier meat.
- Halal-Certified Ingredients
- Many ingredients and additives in foods can be non-halal, and some of them are pretty sneaky! For example, gelatin is often source from pig or other non-halal animals.
These are just the basics to remember, but much more detail can be observed here.
Why Non-Muslims are Choosing Halal Food Options
Halal ethics are derived from Islamic tradition, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow those traditions to enjoy what being halal has to offer. A lot of people actually seek out halal food due to the fact that it tends to be cleaner, healthier, and more ethical! That’s something everyone should be able to get behind.
Pizza Boli’s Halal Food Menu & What We Offer
At Pizza Boli’s, we strive to be inclusive of everyone. Part of our initiative to achieve this is to provide extensive halal-certified options to ensure that no matter who you are and what you’re craving, we have something for you! Here are some of Pizza Boli’s halal options that are great to try:
- Rice Platters: Our chicken, lamb gyro, kofta, and combo rice platters are halal and delicious! Made in the style of halal NYC food trucks, there is no lack of flavor to be found when you order one.
- Falafel Wrap: Crispy falafel loaded with veggies, packed together in one delicious wrap. Not only is this dish halal, but it’s also vegetarian!
- Traditional Gyro: A halal staple, our traditional gyro serves up a taste of the Mediterranean. With fresh veggies and zingy tzatziki sauce, this is sure to please.
- Pizza with Fresh Toppings: At Pizza Boli’s, you can even have halal pizza! We offer plenty of halal toppings to add on top. Aside from our vegetarian toppings, our grilled chicken, pepperoni, Italian salami, gyro meat, shrimp, meatballs, sirloin steak, chicken steak, and crab meat are all halal and ready for you to throw on your pizza when hunger creativity strikes!
These are only just a few of our halal menu offerings. Head over to our halal page to see our halal statement and check out what else we have to offer!
How to Find Halal Food Near You
If you want to begin eating halal or want to check to see if something’s halal, there are a few things you can look out for. Typically, anything that is packaged and halal will have a halal certification logo on it. If you’re eating out, you can look for these on a menu as well; some places will show this. If you’re trying to find a nice halal restaurant to grab a bite to eat, look out for halal signage. You can also check online to see if somewhere you’d like to visit has a halal statement on their website. If they do, great! If they don’t, try giving them a call! Staff typically know and should be happy to answer your questions. If you have any questions for us regarding our food, check out our locations page and give your local Pizza Boli’s a call!
Halal = Food with Heart
Halal food is about more than just rules—it’s about mindfulness, respect, and community. Oftentimes, traditional halal dishes are meant to be shared and bring people together. At Pizza Boli’s, we’re promoting that too. Nothing’s better than sharing a delicious pizza with the people you love, especially if that’s a halal pizza! So, next time you’ve got a hankering to try something new, maybe give halal options a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised and open yourself up to a world of new flavors!
Ready to try something new? Discover our wide range of halal-certified dishes at Pizza Boli’s!
