The Growing Halal Restaurants in France
In a restaurant in the heart of Paris, tucked between the city Bastille and Place de la Nation, Sophia Tabet was ready to eat a typical French menu, including foie gras, roast beef and roast duck. But unlike the other French restaurants, one restaurant that does not offer its menu and wine list all the food prepared in strict accordance with the principles of Islamic sharia law.
“We all eat halal food. It’s nice to have a change, but a French-style food cooked with kosher, “says Tabet (29 years) who is also a customer adviser at a financial services company. Tabet is a Muslim girl who a customer of the “Les Enfants Terribles” restaurant which serves Halal food. Born and educated in France, young French Muslims have a sense of culinary and social life similar to fellow non-Muslims to them, but eating out can be a disappointing experience, because of the limited fast-food restaurants are cheap or have a vegetarian menu on the cuisine.
“Before, eating kosher food in Paris, your food is limited only to foods such as pizza or kebab shops,” said Kamel Saidi (32 years) who opened the restaurant Les Enfants Terribles two years ago with his brother.” I was born in France, I grew up in France and I am frustrated because I was not able to enjoy the traditional foods of France,” he said.
For Muslims, the rules of eating kosher foods such as do not contain pork or any food that is mixed with the alcohol becomes a problem – especially against the French traditional food. In a country that is famous for its rich cuisine, kosher food becomes a separate issue for Muslims. “What if you want your colleagues to invite a non-Muslim to eat out? Your period will invite non-Muslim fellow you are to want to eat at a restaurant that serves Kebab? “said Saidi.
France is the European country with the largest Muslim population, estimated at about 5 million people living in France is Muslim. Currently the stores that provide Halal products valued at up to 4 billion euros and growth of halal products in France is expected to reach 10 percent per year until 2012, according to a study by Xerfi consultant based in Paris. For Saidi who has opened a kosher restaurant Les Enfants Terribles, the restaurant is promising for developing and developed considering the number of Muslims in France, he himself is planning to open a second restaurant in other places in France.
“The demand for restaurants serving halal food is very big. Kosher food has grown everywhere, “he said.
Posted in France Restaurants