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Halal snack pack

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Halal snack pack
Halal snack packs from King Kebab House in Campbelltown, Sydney, Australia
Alternative namesHSP, Meat in a box, Meat on chips, Meat Box, Snack Box, Snack Pack, Kebab snack plate
Place of originAustralia
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsDoner Kebab, chips, sauces, and optionally cheese.
VariationsAdelaide AB

A halal snack pack, or HSP, is a dish consisting of halal-certified doner kebab meat (typically beef, but also chicken and lamb),[1] chips, and one or more sauces, especially chilli, garlic and barbecue.[2] Yoghurt, cheese, jalapeño peppers, and hummus are common additions. It is traditionally served in a styrofoam container, and has been described as a staple dish of takeaway kebab shops in Australia.[2][3] Some Australian restaurant menus refer to the dish as a "snack box" or "mixed plate", rather than as a "halal snack pack".[2]

History

The halal snack pack dish originated in Sydney, Australia,[3] as a culinary fusion of Middle-Eastern and European cuisine. By some accounts, snack packs have had a long history sinces its origins more than 30 years ago and has since become a quintessentially Australian dish.[4]

In late 2015, following the creation of the Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society, a subculture formed around the dish. This led to wide coverage of the dish in the media, as well as a notable reference in Australian Parliament during a debate about Halal certification.[5]

Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society

The Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society is a Facebook group established in December 2015 and is the centre of halal snack pack subculture. The group had 16,000 members sign on in its first month, and as of May 2016 has more than 100,000.[3][5][6] Like the dish, the subculture within the group is a blend of Middle-Eastern and Western. Both Muslim and non-Muslim members use Islamic words in a Tongue-in-cheek fashion, expressing approval of a snack pack by describing it as "Halal", or disapproval by describing it as "Haram". A member who requests tomato sauce or salad with their snack pack is referred to as a "Haram dingo",[3][7] and the page states that such users be banned from the group.[3]

File:Halal Snack Pack served on ceramic plate.jpg
Close-up view of a halal snack pack

One of the goals of the Facebook group is to identify the potential for the world's best halal snack pack.[3] The group also raises funds to support the Australian Relief Organisation, an organization that assists underprivileged people to attain cataract surgery and assists orphanages with matters regarding water supplies.[8]

A typical post on the page involves a picture of a recently-purchased halal snack pack, along with an informal review that scores the dish on various criteria; including meat, chips and sauce quality, clarity of halal signage, packaging, price and greeting.[2][5][8] Surprisingly, little tension has arisen between Muslim and non-Muslim members, who refer to one another as "brothers and sisters" and band together to oppose any anti-Halal posts that appear on the page. The Australian Labor Party senator Sam Dastyari is a member of the Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society and has publicly stated support for halal products and certification.[5]

Some kebab shops and restaurants have realized significantly increased sales after being reviewed on the group's Facebook page.[3] For example, Metro One in the inner west area of Sydney had revenue increases of over 75% after being featured on the site as making one of the best halal snack packs in the city.[3]

Similar dishes

The Adelaide AB is a very similar dish, which is prepared using gyro meat, chips, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, barbecue sauce, and garlic sauce.[9][10] The dish is sometimes accompanied with alcoholic beverages.[9] Two restaurants in Adelaide have claimed to have invented the dish: the North Adelaide Burger Bar and Blue & White.[9][11] The Adelaide AB may be consumed as a shared dish, with the meal being placed at the centre of a table.[11]

Kapsalon is a Dutch food item consisting of fries, topped with döner or shawarma meat, grilled with a layer of Gouda cheese until melted, and then subsequently covered with a layer of dressed salad greens.

A munchy box is an inexpensive fast-food product sold from takeaway restaurants, primarily in the West of Scotland and Glasgow. It typically includes kebab meat, fried chicken, pizza, chicken tikka, onion rings, pakora, naan bread, garlic bread, coleslaw, and other fast foods and sauces.

See also

  • Carne asada fries – a fast-food dish typically consisting of french fries, carne asada, guacamole, sour cream and cheese
  • Poutine – a Canadian dish prepared with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy

References

  1. ^ Pawsey, Rosa K. (2002). "Case Studies in Food Microbiology for Food Safety and Quality". Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 109. ISBN 0854046267.
  2. ^ a b c d "Your Local Kebab Shop Is Now Trending, Introducing Your New Facebook Group Obsession". MTV. March 14, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Safi, Michael; Hunt, Elle; Wall, Josh (April 18, 2016). "The halal snack pack: a fast track to a heart attack? Or worse?". the Guardian. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  4. ^ Bartholomeusz, Rachel. "Unpacking the Halal Snack Pack". SBS news. SBS. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d "Senator rates halal snack pack a 10". Sky News Australia. March 17, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  6. ^ "Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society?". Facebook. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  7. ^ "Halal snack pack: bridging cultures or a recipe for radicalisation? – video". the Guardian. July 3, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Pilgrims heading for Halal snack pack Mecca". Daily Telegraph. March 11, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c "Macquarie Dictionary". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  10. ^ "The AB at Blue & White Café North Adelaide". Gourmantic. January 24, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Where is Adelaides Best AB?". WeekendNotes. Retrieved April 30, 2016.

Further reading

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