Welcome to the Round Table

[miss heny]

And it's wasn't a matter of my student not liking meat. There's a significant lack of awareness of designations like Kosher and halal. She was trying to make it easy by ordering vegetarian.

And we were in an area where there are plenty of Muslims. Like her hijab didn't tip them off?

That was a terrible trip. We went back to school and disbanded the club because we no longer wanted to be part of that organization.

From personal experience most people won't care or go out of their way to insult people who aren't the norm of faith in the US its infuriating.

 

[Sally PB]

There's a significant lack of awareness of designations like Kosher and halal.

The only thing I know about Kosher is no pork. I know nothing about halal.

Can you explain them so I can learn something?

 

[miss heny]

The only thing I know about Kosher is no pork. I know nothing about halal.

Can you explain them so I can learn something?

Both Kosher and Halal are a method of slaughtering of animals, Kosher is more strict both on allowed animals and who can slaughter.

Halal is less strict on the allowed animals and typically if you can't do Halal you do Kosher.

For those of us with very little access to Kosher, Halal is the better alternative over non kosher meats and foods because at least we know it's pork free. However Halal allows Shellfish and other non kosher sea life.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Both Kosher and Halal are a method of slaughtering of animals, Kosher is more strict both on allowed animals and who can slaughter.

Halal is less strict on the allowed animals and typically if you can't do Halal you do Kosher.

For those of us with very little access to Kosher, Halal is the better alternative over non kosher meats and foods because at least we know it's pork free. However Halal allows Shellfish and other non kosher sea life.

What she said.

 

[miss heny]

While I am converting into the Reform Branch of Judaism I try to aher to Kosher dietary needs. It's definitely 100% kosher style as I don't have my own kitchen to kashrut and all that. In town I try to do vegetarian, vegan, or pescetarian

 

[NatJ]

The only thing I know about Kosher is no pork. I know nothing about halal.

Can you explain them so I can learn something?

Kosher is based on Jewish dietary rules.
Halal is based on Muslim dietary rules.

I've heard that kosher meat or halal meat are sometimes better quality than conventional meat, so some people choose one or the other for non-religious reasons too.

 

[miss heny]

Kosher is based on Jewish dietary rules.
Halal is based on Muslim dietary rules.

I've heard that kosher meat or halal meat are sometimes better quality than conventional meat, so some people choose one or the other for non-religious reasons too.

Typically there stricter protocol on slaughter and so forth. Kosher goes a step farther with removing certain fats and as much blood as possible, however there are non kosher cuts due to certain nerves and ligaments. If you got a skilled enough butcher then those cuts can become kosher.

Halal while Similar style of slaughter they don't do as intensive blood removal and the whole animal can be eaten (the special cuts are for bovine and caprine. Poultry just needs to be slaughtered and drained of blood properly to be kosher.)

Kosher requires a specially trained person and has guidelines for the blade. Halal I believe is similar but I can't remember, we use a halal butcher for our cattle and goats

 

[Sally PB]

Thank you for the easy to understand explanations. Especially about the skill needed to butcher, as I'd never heard that, and that makes sense.

Yeah, I can see how Kosher meats might very well be higher quality!

 

[Sally PB]

I was a vegetarian for a while in high school, and my mom put a (gentle) stop to that, saying that I wasn't going to get enough protein. Ok. It was kind of a teenaged rebellion/sense of identity thing anyway, mom.

In college, I gave it another try, knowing a little bit more about nutrition. But I surely was NOT a healthy specimen, at 60 pounds overweight, because I ate a lot of cheap junk. I was in college, ya know? Oh, the boxes of mac and cheese...

After college, I kept it up until I read a bit more about vegetarianism, and realized, no, I wasn't doing it for any religious reason, or health, or "wanting to know where my food came from," or respect for life. I did it for the sense of identity.

What am I? I'm a vegetarian. I thought that was a very shallow, hanger-on type of reason. So I gave it up.

I could do it again, not vegan, as I like dairy and eggs (love them fresh eggs!), but DH would not go along, as he enjoys meat too much. Sorting out the menu when I went GF was hard enough.

 

[miss heny]

My mom was a vegetarian before she had me, once pregnant she returned back to eat meat (adding dad is meat and potatoes kinda guy even then..)

Honestly I would rather eat more vegetarian most days but we raise our own beef sooo gotta eat that up somehow.