Does Halal chicken taste different?

[jewel1968]

I noticed it is a lot cheaper in my local Sainsbury's. For example 1kg of chicken thighs £3.50 Vs 640g for £340. Interested in any experiences. Thanks

[DecemberSnow]

No

[DecemberSnow]

Do you eat out much?

Some Nandos restaurants are Halal only.
As well as alot of take aways / kebab shops etc

[Shmithecat2]

No. I've lived in Saudi for 7 years and can taste no difference whatsoever to non halal when I'm back in the UK.

[Roomba]

You've probably eaten plenty halal chicken before without even realising. It doesn't taste any different at all.

[Frariedeamin]

Yes. You can taste the tortured soul.

[Gwilt160981]

No still tastes like chicken. Just been slaughtered different

[cuckooken]

Well no, because a chicken is a chicken.

[mizu]

Same.

[cuckooken]

It might not be cheaper because it's halal though, it might be you are comparing normal chicken with value chicken, which happens to be halal. Maybe.

[jewel1968]

I grew up on a farm and we used to kill our own chickens. My mum always said the way they were killed influenced the taste. She never let my dad kill the chickens as he didn't have the knack. So I thought the method of killing might make a difference. Thanks for sharing that you don't notice any difference.

[jewel1968]

As far as I can tell they were the same grade chicken. Will try halal next time.

[MyNewBearTotoro]

I doubt the price difference is because it’s halal, there are probably other differences. The more expensive one could be Red Tractor/ RSPCA assures, corn-fed or organic or you could be looking at a difference in price between battery and free range chicken or between British and imported chicken. Sometimes meat is pumped with water to make it weigh more as well so check the water content of the cheaper one vs the pricier one.

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

Look at the welfare of the chicken egg to slaughter including the death. Then make up your mind. Cheap usually means a crap life and death

[jewel1968]

NoMorePoliticsPlease - I am interested to know if all things being equal (same welfare etc ..) is there any difference in taste. People seem to be saying not.

[followingonfromthat]

if all things being equal (same welfare etc..)
Not entirely equal, no.

[user163578742]

Isn't there an episode of "Supershoppers" where they explain why supermarkets have price oddities like this? There are other products that are near identical but in different aisles with significantly different prices.

[jewel1968]

Followinginfromtgat - if the chicken is organic, free range and halal would it taste the same as organic, free range non halal? Posters here suggest it would.
User - yes that rings a bell

[bobstersmum]

The poor chicken that had its throat cut whilst alive and slowly bled to death sure wasn't bothered if it tasted better. Why would you support such fucked up cruelty?

[coffeeforone]

Given a choice I'd always choose non-halal, but there's no difference in the taste of eg a Nando's chicken

[Reginabambina]

Slaughter and post slaughter treatment absolutely does have an effect on taste but it’s fairly minimal in comparison to breed, lifestyle, etc. In practice halal chicken slaughter is often identical to regular chicken slaughter but with prayers read over the chicken so there shouldn’t be any taste difference at all. I would be suspicious of meat that is that cheap though.

[GarlicSoup]

Why would you support such fucked up cruelty?

^
This

[eyeswideshit]

Most halal chicken has been stunned and slaughtered the exact same way as a non halal chicken. The only difference being a prayer is being said. I can't see how that would change the taste.

[extremity1]

All meat must be by law killed/prepared in the same "humane " way. Super regulated industry. I'm happy to report you can not taste the prayers.

But meat that cheap does sound water logged to me

[jewel1968]

If the only difference is the prayer then I agree should be no difference but I had thought there was a difference in how the bird was killed. My misconception.

[Clymene]

Just checked the chicken thighs in my fridge. Nearly £10/kilo. Cheap chicken is cheap chicken. None of it tastes if anything, no matter how it's killed.