Halal Holidays

Have you ever gone to the supermarket looking for reindeer meat, only to find out that it wasn't halal? Well, we haven't either, but apparently Norway believes that there is a market and a demand for halal reindeer meat.

Vilteksperten, a slaughterhouse that specialises in game meat, has slaughtered 105 reindeer according to Muslim law, in cooperation with the Islamic Council of Norway. “It’s the tastiest meat in the world,” said Harry Dyrstad, head of Vilteksperten. The decision to make halal reindeer meat came in 2008 when reindeer meat sales plummeted. The main target for this new product is Norwegian Muslims, but the hope is that halal reindeer meat could also be served in high-end restaurants in Dubai, according to Dyrstad.

“Those who have tried it say it’s the best in the world,” said Mehtab Afsar, secretary general of the Islamic Council of Norway. We doubt there will be a high demand in Egypt, but if successful in Dubai then one could assume that, even though a majority of Egyptians don't celebrate Christmas, they may consider eating one of Santa's halal slaughtered reindeer just to feel apart of the holiday spirit.