Drammen: Halal Christmas dish

The sale of Muslim-slaughtered dried ribs (Pinnekjøtt, a traditional Norwegian Christmas dish), is going like never before. Kerem Kacar sold a ton of pinnekjøtt this Christmas season.

"I don't understand why people don't eat pinnekjøtt in the summer," says Kerem Kacar, the owner of the halal meat business in Drammen.

17% of the residents of Drammen are immigrants, most are Muslim.

Even if the Muslims themselves don't celebrate Christmas, halal pinnekjøtt is naturally on their table on Christmas eve.

"I could eat pinnekjøtt all year round," says Kacar.

When it's for Christmas, the meat that is eaten must be slaughtered in a halal manner.

"There's really no difference in the meat," admits Kacar.

"The difference is that I say a religious sentence during the slaughter," he says.  Kacar has a lot of experience from Gilde slaughtering and manages a meat business in Drammen which specializes in halal slaughter.  
 
Until now Kacar's business sold over a ton of pinnekjøtt slaughtered in the correct Muslim manner.

"And I have many more orders waiting," says Kacar.

He expects that everything will be sold out before Christmas eve.  Customers are both ethnic Norwegians and immigrants.

Kerem has lived in Norway for 20 years.  He is married with Heidi, who comes from Grong in Trøndelag. They've lived in Drammen for 19 years.

"I converted to Islam 12 years ago, so we don't celebrate Christmas," says Heidi.  "But we still enjoy ourselves when it's Christmas because we have time off together."

- what do you eat on Christmas eve?

"Halal pinnekjøtt, of course," grins her husband.

Source: NRK (Norwegian)

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