Halal and kosher foods offered in campus restaurants may often go unnoticed by most students at OU, but for Muslim and Jewish students it’s a matter of faith.
Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted, according to the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. How it relates to food is that it includes those containing pork or pork by-products, animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughter, alcoholic drinks and carnivorous animals, which are all considered haram, or not permitted.
Kashrut or kosher means proper or correct in Hebrew. Judaism requires the blood of animals to be drained from meat and poultry before it can be eaten, according to jewfaq.com. Meat with dairy and grape products made by non-Jews are also not kosher.
OU Housing and Food Services have offered halal food at Couch Restaurants, Crossroads Restaurant and Cate a la Carte for approximately 10 years, said nutrition specialist Dot Flowers. Most of the halal meat is purchased from Midamar, a major U.S. halal food brand and global chain management.
Housing and Food also offers kosher options, said Suzy Sostrin-Rainer, executive director of OU Hillel, the foundation for Jewish campus life at OU.
When a campus restaurant doesn’t offer halal labeled food, Spanish senior Samirah Mohamad said she substitutes ingredients, and she gets her halal meat from Middle East Market, a store in Tulsa owned by her father.
While there is debate about how strict halal food must be, Muslims often have to avoid candy with gelatin and certain fish, Mohamad said.
“But everyone agrees, no pig,” Mohamad said.
The halal food offered on campus is often already prepared, like halal lunchmeat, Mohamad said. Students can’t often order things like a halal burger or customize the food.
Students and groups are encouraged to contact Housing and Food if options meeting their specific needs are not offered, Flowers said.
“Our first initiative to offer alternatives to meet religious dietary needs actually came about in this manner,” Flowers said.
Housing and Food offers vegan and vegetarian options that may meet the needs of students who prefer halal or kosher food, Flowers said.
“Our goal is to make dining across campus an easy and enjoyable experience,” Flowers said.
There are also halal and kosher food options close to campus, such as Spice and Rice on Campus Corner, Muhammad said.
Homeland grocery store in Norman has a kosher section, which includes meat products, Sostrin-Rainer said. The Candy Basket offers kosher candies, and Old School Bagel Café has kosher bagels.
Jewish students can also find kosher meals at OU Hillel, which has a kosher kitchen, Sostrin-Rainer said.
