Navigating Halal Food in a New Country: My Journey

The Unexpected Challenge of Food

Out of all the things I thought would challenge me in a new country, such as the accent or the weather, food was not one of them. But it surprised me.

Back home in Dubai, halal food was not a 'category' in a supermarket; it was the default. There was no decision-making involved, no second guessing, and no reading ingredients—except for avoiding pork, of course. Whether I was shopping or eating out with friends, there was comfort in knowing everything aligned with my cultural and religious values. That kind of comfort was something I didn’t know I needed.

In Scotland, that routine flipped overnight. I found myself in Tesco, actively searching for a halal sticker and hoping not to find gelatine on the ingredients list. It surprised me how much this influenced my daily life. Food is not solely for sustenance; for me, it is a combination of routine, comfort, and familiarity.

The Impact of Cultural Disruption

When you move somewhere new, you expect changes in language, culture, and climate. However, from my personal experience, it was the tiny things that made the biggest difference. Stepping slightly out of my usual routine made me realise that the cultural disruption I experienced resulted in more sacrifices than I had initially expected. As a picky eater, it was rough.

As Whitt (2011) argues, food reflects personal identity and embodies cultural boundaries. Certain flavours act as sensory anchors, giving a sense of comfort that makes us feel 'at home.' Losing access to these foods might feel like leaving a part of yourself in the past. The dishes that were once staples for me in Dubai now feel like sweeter imitations. The flavour palette I grew up with has been replaced with gentler spices, and that shift alone has changed the comfort and cultural grounding I had always associated with eating. It wasn’t just about finding access to halal food; it was about the little adjustments.

The Negotiation of Identity

We often imagine that the behavioural adjustments from another culture—known as psychological acculturation (American Psychological Association, 2018)—are dramatic. But these noticeable modifications are often small routine changes. Something as simple as deciding what to make for dinner becomes a negotiation between the culture I grew up with and the one I currently live in.

In many ways, the memory of the flavours from Dubai became a kind of transitional object—a sensory teddy bear I carried with me. Even when the food itself is not physically present, the memory of those tastes stays with me. Whether I’m looking at restaurant menus or standing in a supermarket, I am constantly making decisions I never had to make before. It wasn’t solely about food; it was about learning how to exist in a space where my usual defaults had disappeared.

Finding Comfort in New Places

However, my faith was slowly restored as I saw the halal scene in Scotland grow. More options, more restaurants, and more clarity emerged. Even seeing the small halal section in multiple supermarkets felt like a nod of recognition. It reminded me that I am not the only one who feels this way. Over time, I found my own reliable spots: Farm Foods for quite the flavourful halal finds! Their frozen selections understood exactly what I meant by 'proper spices.' Small shops and halal restaurants became tiny anchors in my journey of adjustment—familiar flavours in an unfamiliar environment.

The Subtle Differences

Beyond availability, these adjustments explain why cultural differences shape everyday experiences in subtle but effective ways. For example, portion sizes shocked me—a large here feels like a medium back in Dubai, and vice versa. It’s a tiny detail, but it highlights how our norms are shaped by the environments we grew up in. My parents still travel nearly two hours to Glasgow because that’s the closest place where they can find a Middle Eastern food shop that matches all the flavours and spices we were used to in Dubai.

It has become part of their routine, a way of holding onto familiarity in a place where our defaults have shifted. These small routines may seem simple, but they are incredibly effective for cultural adjustment. They allow us to hold onto parts of the culture we grew up with without feeling as though we must give up everything at once. We work harder to keep those parts alive, and that feels far better than losing our sense of identity altogether.

Recommended Halal Meat and Food Shops

• Farm Foods

• Supermarket halal sections (e.g. Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s)

• Local halal butchers

• Strawberry Garden (Middle Eastern food shopping)

  
  

Recommended Halal Restaurants

• Bread Meets Bread — comfort food without any guessing game.

• Gost — a bit on the pricier side, but halal steak options make it even more worthwhile.

• Namak Mandi — proper spices, feels much closer to the flavours I grew up with.

• Beirut Star — reliable and tasty Middle Eastern comfort food for when I want a taste of home.

  
  

A Journey of Adjustment

I felt less alone. It’s not the comfort of what I grew up with, but it’s a start. It’s something, and that is better than nothing. It’s looking at a glass of water and believing it to be half full instead of half empty. Although I still must explain why I am a part-time vegetarian. Bittersweet.

What this experience taught me was that cultural adjustment is not just about the big, dramatic picture, but the subtle negotiations that follow. The routines, the access, the flavours—all contribute to helping me navigate a different culture and adjust to new norms.

My changing relationship with halal food became my way of understanding the psychological aspects of acculturation—the adjustment, the compromises, and the joy I feel when discovering new favourite halal food spots. As the halal scenery in Scotland grows wider, so does my sense of belonging in a new cultural environment. It may take some time, but it will be worthwhile. To which I thank Tesco for getting me through the roughest parts of this journey.

Conclusion

In conclusion, navigating halal food in a new country has been a journey of self-discovery. It has taught me about the importance of cultural roots and how food can be a bridge to understanding one's identity. As I continue to explore new flavours and experiences, I embrace the changes while holding onto the essence of who I am.

References

Getting Halal Certified in Indonesia: LPPOM MUI Offers Advice on ... (2019). In www.foodnavigator-asia.com. Pearly Neo.

American Psychological Association. (2018). APA dictionary of psychology. Dictionary.apa.org.

Whitt, J. B. (2011). An appetite for metaphor: Food imagery and cultural identity in Indian fiction. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.