14 January, 2009

Wagyu anyone?

I was really surprised when restaurants in the UAE started to offer Wagyu and other Japanese beef variations on their menu plans.
Today, the National even covered this Japanese delicacy.
What I am wondering about, is how this meat can be labelled as "Halal" on the menus, because as you may or may not know, these animals are being fed Beer and Sake. There are now many farmers in Europe which have switched to breeding Japanese cattle because they can make more money with it.

10 comments:

Songwriter F Space said...

Hmmm...
The Halal concept has now become an industry and I am not sure if all products labeled "Halal" are actually "Halal". We are talking about mass production and a global industry so products are coming from vitually all over the world.
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I think in all restaurants in the UAE, if a product is cooked in wine etc. or has some element that can disqualify it as Halal, there is an accompanying note in the menu.
My humble opinion is that if someone actually investigated the industry, there will be more than one Meat Madoff (apologies for the corny analogy).

Em said...

it mentions in the article that the wagyu is not imported from japan as it is not 'halal'. the wagyu is australian where a halal-certification is given.

www.hallodubai.com said...

yes i can read. But you can also buy Halal pork from Australia.
Halal certification there does not consider what the animal has been DRINKING.

AbraCadabra said...

Is there a ruling that says that animals fed alcohol are not halal?

I'm not aware of any. Unless the alchol content can be detected in the beef why is it an issue?

As for Halal certifications, yes there are occasional lapses/fakery but for the most part they do mean something with fairly reputable organisations conducting inspections.

chefjama said...

Wagyu refers to the breed of cattle: wa - meaning Japanese, and gyū - meaning cattle. Japanese breeds are predisposed to high marbling.

secretdubai said...

Animals that have had extra marital sex with humans are not halal.

So I'd guess a beer-swilling bovine may be somewhat borderline.

Anonymous said...

The poor cows should be allowed a little tipple to make their life a little pleasurable before they have their throat cut and are served for dinner.

Anonymous said...

Creatures which have ingested any of ten najis (essentially impure) things are unfit for consumption for Islamic law. The animal must be quarantined from najis food for a certain period of time before it can be again consumed. The numbers vary depending on what the animal is, but generally smaller creatures have shorter quarantine times.

Anonymous said...

What if the cows had extramerital affairs, or the women cows went around without hijabs, how could we possibly know what deviant acts these cows were up to before they were killed?

I hope we don't go to hell for eating this possibly non-halal meat!! blasphemy!!!!

psamtani said...

First of all, to believe that any meat that comes from a slaughterhouse can be halal is a magnificent delusion. The aim of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) when specifying the conditions for animal slaughter was to ensure the humane treatment of animals. Therefore, it goes without saying that modern practices of raising meat are by definition haraam, regardless of the method of slaughter.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad always showed the greatest compassion - “universal compassion” - and he exhorted his followers to do the same. A touching example from his life shows how far his empathy extended. Awaking from a nap one afternoon, he found a small, sick cat fast asleep on the edge of his cloak. The Holy Prophet cut off his garment so that the cat could sleep undisturbed. Is this a man who would advocate the unnecessary slaughter of harmless beasts? “Show sympathy to others,” the Holy Prophet Muhammad taught, “especially to those who are weaker than you.” (Bilkiz Alladin, The Story of Mohammed The Prophet, Delhi, 1979, pp. 12-13)

The only meat that could be considered halal in this day and age is from animals that are humanely raised on their natural foods (cows freely grazed, chickens that do not live in cages, etc). In fact, keeping birds, and by extension chickens, in cages is haraam, and will have its consequences in the hereafter. The flesh of the unlawful leads to Hellfire, and it is best avoided. I urge all Muslims to either ensure that their meat is raised humanely, or simply eat fish and eggs as a meat source, which are both halal.

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