Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam. Islam is a monotheistic belief that has 1.5 billion worshippers, according to 2007 information provided on the Adherents webpage. Muslims follow a holy book called the Qur'an that gives them guidance for everyday things. Muslims have to follow a specific diet in accordance to their holy book. As Islam is also heavily influenced by the cultures that reside in the Muslim world, many of these meals are traditional.
Meat and Poultry
Muslims are permitted to eat meats and fish, but they are not permitted to eat certain meats and certain seafood. Firstly, Muslims are only permitted to eat halal meats. Halal is a term that means "lawful," but when applied to food, it means the animal had to be slaughtered with the term, "In the name of God" recited over the animal beforehand. There is also a very specific method in which the animal must be slaughtered before it is deemed "halal". Secondly, Muslims are not permitted to eat meat that has been dead already -- meaning it wasn't slaughtered -- animal blood, any form of pork, or any carnivorous animal.
Sea Creatures and Fish
In the religion of Islam, there is a difference in opinion about whether certain sea creatures are deemed "halal." The difference in opinion surrounds creatures that can live on both the land and in water such as crabs, frogs and turtles. Some say they are haram, or forbidden, to be eaten because they do not have scales, but others believe they are allowed. Both opinions state, however, that Muslims can definitely eat any scaled fish, with the exception of those who oppose eating fish that were dead before being caught.
Grains
In the Arab part of the Islamic world, Muslims eat lots of baked goods and specialty breads. Many of these breads are made from both wheat and white flour. All grains are permissible for Muslims to eat whether raw or cooked. Staple grains in the Muslim world are rice, bulgur wheat and semolina.
Vegetables and Fruits
Muslims are permitted to eat every vegetable and fruit with no exceptions. Some heavily used vegetables in the greater Muslim world are cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants and okra. These vegetables are usually cooked within stews, soups or curries and also made into salads. They are often accompanied with olives, lentils, chickpeas meat or grain.
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