Hui dietary taboos

Pork and pig-related products, animal blood, animals that are not slaughtered while chanting the name of Allah, and animals that have died by themselves. At the same time, the vast majority of the devout Hui people also prohibit alcohol. The Hui people in different regions, different sects, and different growth environments have obvious differences in the implementation of taboos, and there is no unified absolute standard.

Speaking of which, my first impression of this incident came from the courtyard of Wuzhong's hometown in Ningxia when I was a child. My grandfather was the imam of the local mosque. When I was seven years old, I stole the lard residue brought by my classmate to chew it. The smell in my mouth could be smelled by him as soon as I walked in. He didn't chase me like my mother did, but just pulled me to sit under the date tree, turned over the Koran and taught me the principles of "cleanliness" - this rule was not determined by anyone. It was originally based on life experience in the desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Pigs are omnivorous and live in a dirty environment. They are prone to parasites and have a much higher probability of getting stomach upset than cattle and sheep. Later, it was included in the Islamic law and spread to China with the migration of Muslims. It gradually became a common living habit of the Hui people. The rumor that "the Hui people regard pigs as their ancestors" is spread on the Internet. It is a rumor without common sense. Anyone who knows a little bit about the doctrine knows that the core of the ban on pork is that pigs are "greedy in nature, dirty in appearance, and easy to transmit diseases". They are an unclean species and have nothing to do with ancestor worship.

If you travel a lot, you will find that this taboo is much more flexible than many people think. A few years ago, when I went to visit friends in Huihui Village, Sanya, the local Hui people's tables were filled with scaleless aquatic creatures such as squid, oysters, and pomfret. In my hometown of Wuzhong, many older generation imams were determined not to eat scaleless fish, considering them unclean food with "weird shapes and unknown habits." And my distant cousin grew up in Shenzhen. There was no religious atmosphere in his family. Now he eats everything except fatty pork, which makes him feel tired. Do you think he is considered a Hui? Of course, you can't use dietary standards to force your national identity, right?

There are quite obvious differences on this matter in the circle now. Most people of the older generation accept death and believe that since the rules have been passed down by their ancestors for thousands of years, they must strictly abide by them. Even if they can't find a halal restaurant when running business, they would rather eat bread and drink mineral water than touch taboo things. If they touch it, they will break the precept. But many younger generations don’t think so. I know a few Hui children who study in universities in Beijing. When there are no halal canteens around the school, they order vegetarian stir-fries. When they are really hungry, they look for processed foods with halal certification, and they will not go hungry. They always say that taboos are used to restrain themselves, not to cause trouble to those around them, and not to label themselves as “special”.

I ran a halal hotpot restaurant in Yinchuan for three years and encountered many interesting things. Once, a Han Chinese young man rushed in with a bag of braised pig ears and said, "It won't bother you if I eat mine myself." I didn't argue with him. I smiled and pointed to the sign posted on the door saying "No outside non-halal food." I moved him a small folding table and placed it at the entrance of the store. I also gave him a plate of free candied garlic. The young man himself was embarrassed, and he often brought friends over for dinner. After all, if you open a halal restaurant, you must be responsible for the Hui customers who come to eat. This bottom line must be respected.

In fact, by the end of the conversation, you will find that these dietary taboos are simply the living habits that a group of people have developed over thousands of years. They are essentially the same as some people who don’t eat coriander and some who are allergic to mangoes. If you have Hui friends around you, don’t be so reserved that you don’t even dare to mention the word “pig” when eating, and don’t deliberately bring pig-related food to people. Respect each other, which is better than anything else.