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This month , an outlet of KFC started serving halal food, which in turn made it amongst one of the fast-food brands to serve Muslim travelers in the area.
The 300,000 Muslims who make up around 4% of the population of the city have few food options. In addition to forbidding the consumption of pork and its byproducts, halal standards in Islam also apply to the manner in which animals are killed for their flesh.
An establishment that has received halal certification from the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong is committed to sourcing and preparing food in line with the rules of the faith.
However, as of February of this year, Hong Kong has only 63 restaurants with halal certification. The majority of these establishments serve Middle Eastern food, while two-thirds of them specialize in South Asian food. The Islamic Centre Canteen in Wan Chai is the only Chinese establishment with a halal certification, and it offers Cantonese-style dim sum.
Associate Professor James Frankel, director of the Center for the Study of Islamic Culture at Chinese University, provided an explanation for why Hong Kong lagged behind, stating that “Muslim patronage is not enough to sustain a lot of businesses.” As a fellow Muslim, he advised halal eateries to make an effort to draw in non-Muslim customers in order to thrive in the city. Although he thought there was still a long way to go, he saw KFC’s decision as a positive step toward “mainstreaming Muslim identity” in the city.
