Flight 5 Curry and Halal.
After a summer that made me want to say "Japan is no longer in the tropics," autumn has slipped away, breath is white, and Christmas carols are in the air.
With the Olympic year just around the corner, we are hearing more and more about "Halal" in the food service industry.
In the year when guests from various countries visit Japan, "Halal" is indispensable as a global response. In this issue, we will ponder the situation of curry and "Halal" in Japan.
What is Halal?
The word "halal" is alphabetized as Halal, and in Arabic it is حلال, meaning "that which is lawful under Islamic law.
The synonym is "haram," or "not permitted under Islamic law," and Muslims do not eat pork because it is considered najis (impure) and therefore "haram.
It is also "haram" to eat meat from animals other than pigs for meat (such as cows, chickens, and sheep) that are slaughtered in a manner that is not in accordance with "halal," although they are "halal" before birth.
Anything that is not known to be "halal" or "haram" is to be avoided, and it is considered "haram" to disguise "haram" as "halal."
The Muslim feast is a huge mutton! At "HANDI" in Noda City, Chiba, Japan.
In other words, in order for Muslims to feel safe eating in accordance with Islamic law, they must be able to prove that it is definitely "Halal".
Halal-certified" restaurants that handle meat that has undergone the correct knowledge and detailed processing are marked with a "Halal Certification" mark at the entrance, and Muslims enter the restaurant after seeing this mark. ......
Unfortunately, the understanding of Halal is not yet widespread in Japan.
Halal certification marks may be issued by certification organizations in Malaysia and Singapore as well as Japan.
The entire world's Muslim population is over 1.5 billion. Japan can no longer afford to ignore them, as they make up 1/4 of the entire global population.
Muslim local communities in Japan.
For this reason, Muslims in Japan have formed their own local communities, and many Halal restaurants catering to Muslims can be found in such areas.
The most obvious is the neighborhood where the mosque (masjid) is located.
Kitano in Kobe, Owada in Osaka, Hakozaki in Fukuoka, Isezaki in Gunma, and Shin-Okubo in Tokyo each have halal food stores and halal-compliant restaurants run by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.
Pakistani restaurants are scattered in the vicinity of the Isesaki Mosque in Gunma Prefecture...although it is only a short drive away.
The delicious Halim from Ali's Halal Kitchen, a famous Pakistani restaurant in Kitano, Kobe.
It is a stew dish of vegetables, beans, barley wheat and meat cooked over time until tender.
Going a step further, in areas where Muslims have established business bases in Japan, most famously in the Pakistani community of used car exporters, there are many more restaurants and a wider variety of cuisine to choose from.
In the Kanto region, the area from Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, where used car auctions are held, to Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, is commonly known as "Yashioistan," and from there, overland to the Sea of Japan, the area around Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture, a hub of trade with Russia, is also known as "Imizistan," a mecca for Muslim food culture. It is known as the Mecca of Muslim food culture.
Pakistani buffet at Zaika, one of Imizistan's representative restaurants.
One thing to note is that these Muslim restaurants for compatriots have a special Muslim menu for compatriots on the blackboard in English, in addition to the "regular Indian menu" prepared for the Japanese. If you are going to order, order from there.
Toward Halalization of Japanese Curry.
Muslims living in Japan form a local community, but for Muslims visiting Japan for sightseeing or to watch sports, they would like to eat Japanese food, not their own country's food! It is only logical that they would want to eat Japanese food, not their own country's food.
How is Japan's national dish, "Curry Rice", Halal compliant?
Unfortunately, until now, there has been little, if any, progress in making curry rice Halal compliant.
Especially in eastern Japan, pork curry is the most popular type of curry. It is impossible for a restaurant that handles pork to be Halal compliant, and it is difficult and costly to strictly control all the ingredients, soups, and broths.
It was CoCo Ichibanya, Japan's largest restaurant curry chain, that brought an end to this situation.
In September 2017, the first CoCo Ichibanya Halal restaurant opened in Akihabara, Tokyo.
The green façade of CoCo Ichibanya Halal also bears the Halal certification mark.
Immediately after the opening of this fully halal restaurant, which offers beef curry and chicken cutlet curry, a line of Muslim women wearing hijabs formed.
I was impressed that there were so many potential customers who could not eat the curry rice that everyone else around them was eating all the time while in Japan! I was very impressed.
The CoCo Ichibanya Halal Shinjuku Kabukicho branch, which opened later, was also crowded with Muslim girls. This is a major initiative by Coco Ichibanya, which is also looking to expand into India in the future.
By the way, the taste is so much better than regular Coco Ichi. It's worth a try, even for non-Muslims.
CoCo Ichibanya Halal" Beef Shabu Curry. It is Halal compliant with Japanese essence.
Also in Asakusa, a staple of foreign tourists, "Taizan Sakura" is now available, offering two of Japan's most popular national foods, curry and ramen, in a single Halal-compliant setting.
The Indian chef's unique approach to curry ramen is surprisingly tasty while being full of Japanese symbols that tourists will appreciate. Its perfection cannot be underestimated.
Sakuraebi kakiage curry at Taizan Sakura in Asakusa.
Spicy curry ramen with shaved Suruga Bay sakura shrimps for a complete taste.
And now I would like to focus on "Plampone" in Ekoda.
This Italian restaurant by a Bangladeshi chef has declared to be fully Halal by summer 2019. Not only the famous Ekoda hamburger steak, but also the delicious curry rice served here!
The perfect fusion of Nippon curry rice and Bangladeshi curry shows us a new taste of Halal curry rice.
Spicy mutton curry at Plampone in Ekoda.
Halal and gluten-free, this curry rice masterpiece is a wonderful fusion of spice and flavor.
*The store will close on December 1, 2019 and will become a "mobile chef & halal creator" in the future.
Planponent" Facebook pageThey will be announcing their activities at
Now, it's almost 2020.
With the increase in seminars and workshops to deepen understanding of Halal, and efforts by Muslims living in Japan to develop their own unique curry, it is expected that Nippon Curry Rice will become even more Halal-friendly in the future.
We hope that Muslims from all over the world will visit Japan for curry and rice...and that such a day will come soon.
Now, what kind of Flight should we try next time?
PROFILE
In pursuit of all kinds of curry and strange creatures. A spice radar by nature, he has visited more than 3,000 curry restaurants in Japan and abroad. He has been featured in many magazines and TV programs, and is a member of the Japanese Curry Awards selection committee. He is a member of the Japanese Curry Awards Selection Committee, and is a member of the "Next Breakthrough Curry Restaurant" program, which invites a new local curry restaurant to Shibuya every month.SHIBUYA CURRY TUNEThe company is holding the "Mutual Aid Association of Japan (MAAJ).
