How a trip to a local halal food store can expand respect for cuisine and culture: Andrew Coppolino

Medjool dates, pistachios, red lentils, yogurts and lamb chops are ingredients that are commonly enjoyed by many people of many different cultures.

But the dishes that they are used to create are perhaps better understood — and perhaps even taste better — when they are placed within a context.

Food is only one part of any culture, but the context of exploring food and some local halal food stores can be both educational and delicious as we celebrate our Muslim communities.

In 2007, Parliament proclaimed that October is Canadian Islamic History Month, a period dedicated to celebrating Muslim Canadians of "all races, ethnicities, and regions across the country," according to the Government of Canada website.

During this time, we recognize the many contributions that Muslim communities make to the whole of Canadian society, from arts and sports, academics, and literature and the sciences. And where my niche of special interest lies: food.

I recently toured a halal grocery store with Kitchener-based chef Zerka Mya. Mya, born in Belleville, with parents born in Pakistan, describes herself as coming from a blended religious culture, which includes Islam.

Even with her focus on food and cooking as her career (she is one-half of Pulao Gals, which will soon open a Kitchener take-out restaurant), she was energized by our visit to Roua Food Market, a halal grocery store in the Mill-Courtland neighbourhood.

"When I was a kid, there were few stores to find the spices and the ingredients we needed. But over the past, maybe, five years, it has grown immensely. While growing up, when we really needed ingredients, we'd have to go to Toronto. Now, there are many options here. I'm really happy with the diversity that K-W is heading towards," she said.

She cites the variety of spices, fruit and vegetables, dates, yogurts, legumes and other dry goods that you can find at stores such as Noor Food Market, Onkar Foods, Alsalem Store, Kishki halal Market, Ammar halal, Oma Fresh Foods, Aryana Supermarket, Sadaqat halal and others.

"They're all so good," Mya added.

From pulses to freekah wheat

Many people in the region have just enjoyed turkey feasts for Thanksgiving and Mya agrees that this time of the year, with its bounty of crops, is a time for thanks.

"I find that October for Muslims is a really great time to celebrate who they are and what they practise and what they believe in. That often comes with family and food. And a lot of fun," said Mya.

As we wandered the aisles at the store, Mya would suddenly point to a grain, like freekah wheat, or rices and sauces explaining how she would cook with them.

"Pulses and legumes are a huge staple in many Middle Eastern and southeast Asian family cuisines, not only for the vegetarian aspect but also the nutrition. They can be eaten with meat but also with rice and yogurt. My favourite is the red lentils, which my mom prepared with some tomato and onion. It tastes like home," she said.

And yet, despite feeling in a comfort zone with the ingredients and home-cooking memories, trips to the various halal stores that she makes have an educational element for Mya — someone who, as a cook, spends a lot of time with food.

"It depends what kind of family owns the store," she said. "Perhaps it's a Syrian family. You are going to have those differences between the cultures. I find between each store, I learn about those differences."

While she did some culinary training at Conestoga College and apprenticed at a food production business in Newfoundland, it is in the aisles of halal grocery stores that Mya's knowledge base has grown, as it can for anyone visiting.

"They name the food a little differently than what I grew up knowing. I learn another term for it, or I learn about ingredients that my culture doesn't typically touch on," she said noting that food and culture are closely aligned.

"These stores have expanded my culinary knowledge and respect for other types of food that are halal friendly."