Encyclopedia of Islam

food and drink

  

249  J

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for many people in the region. In both i

ndonesia

and  m

alaysia

, people also like to eat a type of 

kabob called satay, which has thin strips of meat, 

fish, or chicken that are skewered, grilled, and 

served with dipping sauces. Hot chilis, originally 

from the New World, and sweet coconut milk are 

used along with other spices and peanut sauces to 

add flavor to rice and fish dishes.

Muslim culinary cultures have continued to 

change and evolve in the modern period. Colo-

nization of Muslim lands by Europeans led to 

the introduction of new foods, restaurants, and 

industrialized food production. With the creation 

of nation-states in the 20th century, national cui-

sines began to appear, as reflected in cookbooks 

featuring “Lebanese,” “Palestinian,” “Turkish,” 

“Moroccan,” “Saudi,” and even “Kuwaiti” reci-

pes. During the last decades of the 20th century, 

American soft drinks flooded local markets, fol-

lowed by fast food chains featuring hamburgers, 

French fries, fried chicken, and pizza. These were 

locally owned franchises, however, which had to 

adhere to Islamic dietary laws. They also allowed 

limited use of local flavorings and adaptations of 

indigenous recipes.

During the 1990s and 2000s, opposition to 

U.S. Middle East policies sparked boycotts of 

U.S.-based food chains and a return to more 

traditional indigenous foods in many countries. 

It also led to the creation of alternative “Islamic” 

commodities, such as Mecca Cola and z

amzam

Cola. On the other hand, the influx of Muslim 

immigrants into Europe and North America led 

to the establishment of halal food businesses 

that served the immigrant communities in those 

parts of the world. It also helped introduce new 

foods there, as can be seen in the popularity of 

Turkish  doner kebab sandwiches in Germany, 

North African foods in France, South Asian 

foods in Great Britain, and Arab (especially 

Lebanese and Palestinian) and Persian foods in 

the United States.

See also 

agricUltUre

; 

animals

; 

basmala

; 

colo

-

nialism

; 

creation

; 

Fasting

; o

ttoman

 

dynasty

.