Halal lunches, which Muslim students can enjoy, have been offered for the first time at elementary and junior high schools in two towns in Ibaraki Prefecture.

The town of Sakai’s school lunch center, which provides meals to elementary and junior high schools in Sakai and its neighboring town of Goka, said, “We want everyone to enjoy the same school lunch regardless of religion. We want Japanese children to learn about the dietary habits and diversity of the world.”

Islamic law prohibits the eating of pork, as well as beef and chicken that have not been processed according to prescribed procedures. For this reason, there are 35 students in Sakai and four students in Goka who cannot eat school lunches and have to bring their own.

The center prepared a halal menu on Sept. 4. It consisted of squid tempura, cooked eggs with vegetables and other ingredients to accompany the rice, along with miso soup with tofu and other ingredients, apple juice and frozen tangerines.

At the Sakai Municipal Sakai Elementary School, 23 students, including foreigners, had a school lunch for the first time. A Pakistani fourth grader, 10, said with a smile, “My first school lunch was delicious. I was happy to eat with everyone else.”

The center plans to offer halal school lunches on a regular basis in the future. It also plans to consider menu items for students of diverse food cultures, such as vegans.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun