With the threat from terrorism receding, Britain’s Islam-baiters have jumped on the anti-halal bandwagon, and not just the neo-fascists of the British National Party and the English Defence League, but mainstream commentators, too.
Driven by the urge to unite “halal” and “gourmet,” Mohamad Fakih built Paramount Butcher Shop in Mississauga. The Lebanese-Canadian entrepreneur built it for his wife, after she complained about the grungy state of Halal meat counters.
Officials from tourism agencies from Arab countries, have spoken about why their citizens chose to come to Turkey for holidays. Among the most important factors they detailed were the food, the shared history, the natural beauty, and religious similarities between Turkey and their home countries.
Mixed marriages, usually involving a Muslim man and Han Chinese woman, are on the rise in Beijing. Urban Muslims now have different wedding choices, but not all of them adhere to Islam.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board reports that in recent years, the number of Middle Eastern visitors to the region has grown by as much as 20% annually. How the Chinese have been able to adjust to these Muslim visitors can be seen in Hong Kong, where many of these business people go through.
Like many French Muslims, Kamil Saidi, who owns the restaurant, says he was disgusted by the recent political kerfuffle over halal, triggered by far right candidate Marine Le Pen’s charge that non-Muslims in Paris were unwittingly eating animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.
Despite the rise of fast-food joints, gourmet chefs aim to create a gourmet food culture. What will transform the country into a major international food scene are more culinary schools for developing chefs.
The growing number of coffee shops in Riyadh gives a different dimension to the city because as they are no longer simply a place for relaxation and comfort but offer facilities to discuss sports, culture, science, technical issues and finance. They sometimes solve some dilemmas of society.
At the largest food trade fair in the Middle East, Gulfood, it was revealed that McDonald’s is expected to open 100 new outlets this year with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Currently, the Golden Arches has 833 restaurants in 17 markets in the Middle East and Africa – a growth rate of between 10 to 15 per cent every year.
Saudi Arabia’s fast food market is expected reach a value of $4.5bn in the next three years, driven by high demand among young, affluent citizens, according to a report by Euromonitor. “Fast food outlets have become important social spaces for a growing cohort of Saudi young people,” said Michael Schaefer, head of consumer foodservice research at Euromonitor.
SouqExtra!, the national chain of community supercenters, has experienced a 48 percent increase in daily footfall corresponding to the positive reception of its concept by the local retail community and the confident outlook for the UAE retail sector.
This latest report was commissioned by LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends. The survey itself was based on the dining habits provided by 1,131 residents.
Bribery in the sale of poor-quality food and beverage products to hotels in Dubai is common, industry sources have told Hotelier Middle East. They reported that the head chef and the butcher at the Burj Al Arab were being tried in court for taking kickbacks of nearly AED 900,000 in return for buying poor-quality food at inflated prices from four suppliers.
The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) has offered to facilitate, on behalf of the Tabung Haji Board, Amanah Saham Mara Bhd and Felda, the purchase of Kulim Bhd’s interest in QSR Brands Bhd worth over RM1 billion.
Food safety tops the list of an annual survey asking Americans to choose the most significant food story of 2011. Even in a year when global food prices hit record highs.
There’s some irony in news that McDonald’s and Tim Hortons are jumping into the high-end coffee business. With a Starbucks practically on every corner, it’s become the McDonald’s of coffee in some people’s minds, a mega corporation whose core product is getting mediocre reviews.
Taft Foodmasters’s vegetarian gyro and sausage pizza topping are menu options meant to add as a high-protein, wheat-based vegetarian option. Up until now, there was just a falafel to offer vegetarians! And these products are also certified Halal by IFANCA.
You will find genuine Halal certificates posted in many Muslim restaurants throughout the Kingdom, and these are truly authentic, certified by the two main Muslim bodies in Thailand: The Central Islamic Committee of Thailand and the Institute for Halal Food Standard of Thailand.
Islamic Finance news – IFN Today, Wednesday, 23rd May 2012
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