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Is Sushi halal to eat?

QUESTION

Is Sushi halal to eat?

ANSWER

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The answer depends on the ingredients and cooking method used. If as in the case of certain types of sushi e.g. Narezushi, raw fish is allowed to ferment in rice, a quantity of alcohol (ethanol) is normally also produced as a by-product of this fermentation (Source: Oxford Companion to Food, 2006).

In this situation, if there is still alcohol in the final product, it is to be avoided. However, if there is no residual alcohol in the final product for example due to evaporation or the alcohol has transformed into another substance during the cooking process, it is not impermissible to consume in this case.

It should be noted that, if as is normally the case with most modern types of Sushi, fermentation of rice is not used, consequently ethanol will not be produced and so it is permissible to consume, subject to no other impermissible ingredient being present.

384/1 الميحط البرهاني
أبو يوسف عن أبي حنيفة رحمه الله: رجل اتخذ من سمك وملح وخمر إذا صار مرقاً فلا بأس للأثر الذي جاء عن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه، وأبو يوسف رحمه الله يقول كذلك إلا في مسألة واحدة أن السمك إذا كان هو الغالب والخمر قليل فأراد أن يتناول شيئاً منه ليس له ذلك وهو كالخبز عجن بالخمر وإذا كان غالباً وتحول الخمر عن طبيعتها إلى المرق فلا بأس بذلك...

And Allah Knows Best.

Answered by FCB Fatwa Department