Oh, Nelly, It’s Getting Halal In Here. New Missoula Market Coming

Driving down Russel Street recently I noticed some new banners hanging in the building next door to Albertsons. Many businesses have come and gone in this location, but it looks like a new specialty market will be calling it home soon.

Many of you, like me, might be asking what exactly is "Halal"? According to Restaraunt Clicks, it means "lawful" or "permitted" in Arabic. This is used to describe the diet to be followed according to the Muslim faith. The term "Haram" describes the opposite of foods that are prohibited.

So what are some of the rules that need to be followed with food preparation and consumption? A strict method must be followed, especially with animal meat. First, anything from a pig is a big no-no. The animals need to be completely healthy before being butchered, and a cut should be made through the windpipe, carotid artery, or jugular vein and all of the blood needs to be drained from the animal.

Halal doesn't only refer to the preparation and consumption of meat, but from what I understand, this is the main focus.

Do you have to be Muslim to eat Halal? Absolutely not. Anyone can adopt this practice and studies have shown that there are many benefits to humans and even the animals used in the Halal practice. Boxed Halal gives a pretty good rundown here.  

Now there is very little information posted on the signs, other than a new Halala Market will be opening soon in Missoula. If you can't wait and want to try some Halal meat or groceries, various stores in Missoula offer Halal choices including

• Albertsons
• Winco
• Costco
• Good Food Store
• Wal Mart

A very informative list of stores in Missoula can be found HERE courtesy of the Montana Islamic Society.

It seems like almost weekly news of a new Missoula business hit the headlines. With all this growth I can imagine we will see more specialty shops like this opening up to cater to our awesome, diverse Missoula community.