To serve these foods to muslim friends

[MissMildred]

Hi - posting here for traffic but also because I don't want to BU. I invited some new school friends and their parents for a bbq in a couple of weeks and two of the families are muslim and mentioned they only eat halal.
I want to make an effort to make them feel comfortable, and it has also been very interesting learning all about what is halal or haram. Obviously no pork will be served. However, some of the guidance on the internet is not clear, so I wondered if anyone with this diet could help me with these items and whether it would BU to serve them up:

Vinegar - if I served this in eg. a coleslaw, are all types of vinegar fine? (Eg is the vinegar not seen as alcohol anymore?)
Butter - Am I overthinking this? Would you eat butter?
Alcohol - I know you wouldn't drink this, but is it acceptable for others in the group to be drinking a glass of wine?
Halloumi - I can't figure out if this is okay or not.

Also - any tips you might have would be great, especially if there are brands of crisps, bread, butter etc....you might use.

Thank you!

I’d put the vinegar separately, myself, as it has been through a process of fermentation which has involved alcohol, some are sensitive.....obv not wine vinegar .

It’s tricky, because yoghurt/ laben is also fermented but is ok.

Well done for asking.

Do those who refuse to eat halal meat not eat meat then? Because huge swathes of meat not labeled 'halal' actually is!

Sadly saying a prayer does nothing for the pain and fear that animal goes through. It shouldn’t be allowed in the UK

Have you seen the conditions in which animals are kept for food? Slightly naive/hypocritical views there!

I also thought the same as pps but read up about the slaughter of halal
and non halal meat. From what I have read, either method of slaughter causes about the same amount of suffering. I now will eat halal meat. I do understand not everyone will agree with me especially as there has a lot of negative coverage about this method of slaughter.

Cook the veggie food first, then fish, then halal meat, finally non halal meat. I do this for veggie friends so they don't have 'contamination'. Just make sure the veggies etc eat first and the meat eaters wait and don't all scoff the veggie food.

Great tip - thank you!

If everyone else should just eat the halal meat as it doesn't matter, is no different etc, then why bother with it in the first place? If there's no difference then theMuslim guests will have no issue with any old meat either.

Why should everyone else have to eat meat slaughtered in ways they don't agree with? Why are their beliefs not as valid?

Cook the veggie food first, then fish, then halal meat, finally non halal meat. I do this for veggie friends so they don't have 'contamination'. Just make sure the veggies etc eat first and the meat eaters wait and don't all scoff the veggie food.

And what about people who don't want their food contaminated with halal meat!?

Eliza9917 because most of it is slaughtered the same way as non-halal meat, except a prayer is said over it. Halal meat in the UK does NOT have to be labeled as halal and therefore some of the meat not labeled halal IS halal.

Ohmydayz of course I’ve seen the conditions that animals are kept in. I worked in a large animal veterinary practice for 10yrs so no I’m not naive or hypocritical you however need to get off your high horse

SavvySaver24 then they shouldn't eat meat. Halal meat does not need to be labeled halal - see my 2 posts above.

Why should everyone else have to eat meat slaughtered in ways they don't agree with? Why are their beliefs not as valid?

Shhh... switch your brain off, don't ask so many logical questions.

J2O & Shloer drinks or do orange juice with fizzy water, we eat a lot of veggie sausages & burgers re fish monk fish is best for bbq do in lumps (?) on kebab sticks put slices of onion capsicum toms, make up yogurt put in spices place kebabs in place in fridge for a few hours before place kebabs on bbq! make up veggie kebabs use pineapple as well treat as fish kebabs. Important aspect (probably obvious anyway!) make sure you separate non halah from non halah. if you have halah mince you can mix spices & onions into it & wrap wound kebab stick (use opened pitta bread to accompany) Make easy raita get yogurt place a little mint sauce in it add cucumber (chopped) & or toms (chopped). :)

mumsastudent Thank you - really useful suggestions

Oh and check if you use sweet yogurts especially chocolate ones they all seem to use gelatine - Birds Trifle mix seems to be OK for some reason (there are some jellies?puddings that use locust bean or sea weed (agar agar) as a thickening or setting ingredient instaed of gelatine)

This thread is making me really hungry.

For the PP who asked if people would object to meat being killed with a prayer said over it, many Sikhs will not eat meat that has been killed by ritual slaughter.

Sometimes I think it's just easier to do everything veggie to avoid anyone being left out.

SavvySaver24 I assume you’re not Christian or Jewish then as you’re objecting on the grounds of it being a God you don’t believe in?

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all Abrahamic religions - same God, disagreement over prophets.

*The halal welfare thing really is a red herring from the daily hate mail and others who like to stir up trouble.

UK halal meat is stunned the same as non halal.*

I am no DM reader and this is nonsense. Some of it is, much of it isn't and it is barbaric. No animal should suffer like that due to any cultural belief whatever it is.

If you care about animal welfare become a vegetarian not a racist

falafels (says she getting them out of oven!)

Good grief what ridiculous comments are on this thread!

I sincerely hope that the people mithering about not eating halal meat (for the millionth time, it’s stunned in the U.K. so just the same as any meat on the market) haven’t eaten in big chain restaurants/fast food places because a fair whack of them are halal too.

People objecting to halal meat on “welfare” grounds either don’t understand the process within the UK or are the kind of person who thinks Tommy Robinson is misunderstood.

I would very much object to eating meat which is halal. I accept that animals have to die I order for me to eat them, but I prefer them to have a quick and painless death rather than having their throats slit and prayers said as they slowly bleed to death.

And no, I’m not an avid DM reader either ffs.

If they are worth your kind invitation, they will find something you have provided to eat and the whole purpose isn't to be fed and watered by you but to develop a friendship.

If that is a too hands off mentality for your comfort, the other thing you could do is invite your friend the day before to help with the shopping and cooking.

I have no idea how strict they are and trying not to overthink,

The only really reliable info would come from the people themselves. Can you not ask them in a simple straightforward way 'looking forward to your visit, just wanted to make sure i understood what would make you most comfortable'.

Rather rely on very general guidelines from the internet.

If you object to halal on welfare grounds, i would like to know how recently you have seen the business end of an abattoir.

I am actually but that should make no real difference.

It is NOT racist to oppose ritual slaughter, it is a sloppy way of shutting down debate which might be uncomfortable to hear.

It is a terribly cruel way to kill an animal - especially cattle as they do not lose consciousness and drown on their own blood - and it is not necessary. People who screech 'racist' embarrass only themselves.

It is heartening that some high profile Muslims (Maajid Nawaz for example) are arguing against this disgusting cruelty - more power to their elbow.