Nira Rahman
In recent years, it seems as though every street corner in New York City has a halal cart. Although originally created to cater to the city’s large Muslim population, halal carts are also enjoyed by non-Muslims including businessmen, students, children, and even tourists visiting New York. The phenomenon began in the late nineties when there was a huge demand for halal street food which, at the time, was a culinary niche just waiting to be filled. This resulted in the appearance of halal hot dog stands which provided fast and simple food for people on the go. Soon the hot dog stands were replaced by halal food trucks with the goal of providing a full meal to the city’s taxi drivers whose numbers increased from about 400 to 3,900 during the mid-nineties. These taxi drivers worked late into the night with 12 hour shifts and needed the food to continue their work, and since many were immigrants from Bangladesh or Pakistan, or Muslim majority countries, the halal cart was born.
The term halal is an Arabic word that refers to anything that follows the teachings of the Quran, or the holy book of Islam. A Muslim’s behavior and actions can be considered halal and this idea transcends to food or more specifically, meat. When an animal is slaughtered according to the proper Islamic guidelines, it is deemed to be halal. For instance, the animal can be a cow, sheep, lamb, goat, chicken, or camel. If it is a pig, it is not halal. Before and during the time of slaughter the animal must be isolated from the rest of the group and the entire process should be as quick as possible to reduce its pain. Furthermore, a set of prayers should be recited. Once all of these conditions are met, the meat is considered to be halal. All of the meat that is used to create the dishes in the halal carts follow these guidelines. Thus, one of the most popular food trends in recent years can be directly connected to an Islamic tradition or ritual.
Although halal carts are served by Muslims and they advertise the same dishes, there is still a diverse style in the preparation of the dishes that are sold. The most popular ones include chicken or lamb over rice and gyros with white and red sauce to top it all off. These dishes have some Egyptian and Greek influences. For example, the red sauce is comparable to the Egyptian harissa sauce and gyros are a well-known Greek food. Despite this, vendors still experiment with the menu. In Jackson Heights, for instance, there is a large Bangladeshi population, so these same dishes may include a different set of spices such as cardamom and turmeric or cilantro that gets mixed in with the meat. The red sauce may be spicier with an extra addition of chili powder. These variations represent diversity even within the Muslim immigrant population of New York.
The most well-known halal cart is The Halal Guys, and its popularity developed into what is best described as a franchise. The original founders of the group are Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka, and Abdelbaset Elsayed who signed a contract with Fransmart, a consulting firm for restaurants. Fransmart is known for creating franchises out of Five Guys and Qdoba. The Halal Guys became popular not solely from this business deal, but also because of the preparation of the food which is different from other halal carts. For instance, the chicken and rice is served in round, foil containers unlike the usually rectangular, Styrofoam containers and the sauces are served in individual packets similar to condiments served in common fast-food chains. Furthermore, the meat is more finely chopped than other carts where the pieces tend to be bigger. The most notable difference of all is the fact that The Halal Guys boast their own logos which mark their carts, shirts, and the plastic bags customers carry their food in.
The popularity of halal carts has even raised a debate of whether or not halal food, specifically halal meat, should be served in New York City’s public schools. Proponents of this issue, including individuals such as Councilman Rafael Espinal, argue that Muslims comprise a large portion of the student body and many students skip lunch in school because it does not satisfy their dietary restrictions. In addition, schools were losing money because the uneaten lunches get thrown out. This view led to the introduction of legislation that permits schools to add halal food into their menus. On the other hand, those who are against this measure, state that public institutions that fulfill the needs of a group, especially a religious one, are violating the establishment and equal protection clauses of the First Amendment in the Constitution. In other words, by allowing schools to serve halal food, the education system is not separating religion from public affairs and is favoring one religion over another. Since both arguments were sound, later legislation also mandated that public schools also serve kosher food to cater to the needs of multiple groups within the student body.
All in all, halal carts began as a means of supporting New York City’s Muslim immigrant population. Its popularity allowed for vendors to experiment with common halal cart dishes and even for some, such as The Halal Guys, to turn themselves into a franchise which serves a wider and more diverse population. The reputation of halal food also raised awareness on the dietary restrictions of Muslim students in New York’s public schools, which prompted city officials to draft legislation that better fit their needs. The most astonishing aspect of this trend is how the food was able to bridge a seemingly obscure tradition with the wider population of New York which contains both Muslims and non-Muslims.
Bibliography
Danovich, Tove. “Street Meat: The Rise of NYC’s Halal Cart Culture.” Eater. Eater, 10 July 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.
Markind, Johanna. “Federal Government Subsidizes Halal Food in Public Schools.” Middle East Forum. The Middle East Forum, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.
Vadukul, Alex. “The Halal Guys: Cashing In on Street Cred.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 June 2014. Web. 01 May 2017.
