A halal snack pack (HSP) is a
fast food dish, popular in
Australia, which consists of
halal
''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...
-
certified
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
doner kebab
Doner kebab (, ; tr, döner or , ), also spelled döner kebab, is a type of kebab, made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical co ...
meat (lamb, chicken, or beef) and
chips
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...
. It also includes different kinds of sauces, usually
chilli,
garlic, and
barbecue,
whilst
yoghurt
Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bact ...
or yoghurt sauce, cheese,
jalapeño
The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scovi ...
peppers and
tabbouleh
Tabbouleh ( ar, تبولة, translit=tabbūla; also tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah) is a Levantine salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur (soaked, not cooked), and seasoned with olive oil, lemon ...
are common additions. The snack pack is traditionally served in a
styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...
container, and has been described as a staple takeaway dish of
kebab shop
A kebab shop is a quick service food establishment specialising in various fast food and street food dishes, primarily doner kebab and related sandwiches, including falafel.
Kebab shops were born in Europe, specifically Berlin with doner kebab ...
s in
Australia.
Some Australian restaurant menus refer to the dish as a "snack pack", "snack box" or "mixed plate".
The name of the dish was chosen by the
Macquarie Dictionary
The ''Macquarie Dictionary'' () is a dictionary of Australian English. It is generally considered by universities and the legal profession to be the authoritative source on Australian English. It also pays considerable attention to New Zealand ...
as the "People's Choice Word of the Year" for 2016.
History
The halal snack pack originated in Australia as a
culinary fusion of
Middle-Eastern
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...
and European cuisines. According to some, snack packs date back at least to the 1980s. They have since become a quintessential
Australian dish.
However, variations or
similar dishes exist in other countries; examples include "doner meat and chips" in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, "''döner teller''" ("doner plate") in Germany, "''
kapsalon
Kapsalon () is a fast food dish created in 2003 in the Netherlands, Dutch city of Rotterdam, consisting of a layer of french fries placed into a disposable metal take-away tray, topped with Döner kebab, döner or Gyro (food), gyro meat, covered ...
''" ("
barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
shop") in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, "''kebabtallrik''" ("kebab plate") in
Sweden, "
gyro
Gyro may refer to:
Science and technology
* GYRO, a computer program for tokamak plasma simulation
* Gyro Motor Company, an American aircraft engine manufacturer
* ''Gyrodactylus salaris'', a parasite in salmon
* Gyroscope, an orientation-sta ...
fries" in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and "''kebab ranskalaisilla''" ('kebab with French fries') in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. In
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, the dish is known as an "AB".
Meanwhile in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, Western Australia the term "meat box" is commonly used.
In late 2015, following the creation of the Facebook group, Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society, a subculture formed around the dish, it has been known to bring cultures together.
This led to wide coverage of the dish in the media, as well as a notable reference by Senator
Sam Dastyari in Australian Parliament during a debate about
halal certification
''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with ''haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification kno ...
which is credited for much of the increase in attention paid to this dish.
Health concerns have been raised about the refined carbohydrate content of halal snack packs. Excess refined carbohydrates can cause
obesity
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's ...
and
heart disease, as well as cerebrovascular, metabolic and renal conditions and complications.
Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society
![Halal Snack Pack served on ceramic plate, topped with Tablouleh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Halal_Snack_Pack_served_on_ceramic_plate%2C_topped_with_Tablouleh.jpg)
The Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society is a
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
group established in December 2015 that is dedicated to the halal snack pack. After its establishment, the group had 16,000 members sign on in its first month, and had almost 90,000 members in April 2016.
The site encourages users to post reviews of halal snack packs they consume at various restaurants and kebab shops throughout Australia.
The reviews sometimes include images of the dish, and are typically based upon the criteria of meat, chips and sauce quality, halal signage, packaging, price and the greeting diners receive, all of which are based upon a scale of 1–10.
As of March 2016, the site refers to the "standard" price of a halal snack pack as
AUD
The Australian dollar (sign: $; code: AUD) is the currency of Australia, including its external territories: Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. It is officially used as currency by three independent Pacific Island s ...
$10.
One of the goals of the group is to identify the potential for the world's best halal snack pack.
The Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society also raises funds to support the Australian Relief Organisation, an organisation that assists underprivileged people to attain cataract surgery and assists orphanages with matters regarding water supplies.
The group has Muslim and non-Muslim members, who refer to one another as "brothers and sisters".
Users on the site have been derided by other users at times for putting tomato sauce or salad on the dish, which the site discourages, referring to such users as "haram dingos".
The site also states that such users who add tomato sauce or salad may be banned from the group.
The former
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...
Senator Sam Dastyari is a member of the Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society, and has publicly stated support for halal products and certification.
Some kebab shops and restaurants have realised significantly increased sales after being reviewed on the group's Facebook page.
For example, Metro One in the inner west area of Sydney had revenue increases of over 75% after being featured on the site as making one of the best halal snack packs in the city.
In popular culture
In July 2016, then Labor Senator
Sam Dastyari invited the
One Nation party leader
Pauline Hanson out for a halal snack pack after she won a Senate seat in the
2016 Australian federal election. She rejected his proposal, saying, “It’s not happening, not interested in halal, thank you”. Hanson then elaborated, stating, “I’m not interested in it. I don’t believe in halal certification,” and went on to claim that “98 percent of Australians” opposed it. In response, several Australian restaurants created a Pauline Hanson-inspired halal snack pack. There has also been a
GoFundMe
GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the be ...
campaign to turn Hanson's former fish and chip shop into a
pop-up halal snack pack stand.
Similar dishes
The "AB" dish in Adelaide is
gyros
Gyros—in some regions, chiefly North America, anglicized as a gyro (; el, γύρος, yíros/gyros, turn, )—is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, then sliced and served wrapped or stuffed in pita bread, along with ingredients suc ...
meat topped with chips, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, barbecue sauce, and
garlic sauce
Garlic sauce is a sauce prepared using garlic as a primary ingredient. It is typically a pungent sauce, with the depth of garlic flavor determined by the amount of garlic used. The garlic is typically crushed or finely diced. Simple garlic sauce ...
.
The dish is sometimes served with alcoholic beverages.
Two restaurants in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
claim they invented the dish: the North Adelaide Burger Bar (also known as the Red & White) between 1969 and 1972, and the Blue & White in 1989.
The "AB" may be placed at the centre of the table and shared.
[McCann, James (23 April 2016).]
Who Makes Adelaide's Best AB?
, '' Rip It Up'', Adelaide. Archived from th
original
on 27 April 2016.
File:Adelaide vs Melbourne AWAY-2886587.jpeg, An "AB" from Adelaide
File:Kapsalon Amstelveen.jpg, ''Kapsalon
Kapsalon () is a fast food dish created in 2003 in the Netherlands, Dutch city of Rotterdam, consisting of a layer of french fries placed into a disposable metal take-away tray, topped with Döner kebab, döner or Gyro (food), gyro meat, covered ...
''
File:Munchy Box.jpg, A " munchy box"
See also
*
Carne asada fries – a fast-food dish typically consisting of french fries, carne asada, guacamole, sour cream and cheese
* ''
Kapsalon
Kapsalon () is a fast food dish created in 2003 in the Netherlands, Dutch city of Rotterdam, consisting of a layer of french fries placed into a disposable metal take-away tray, topped with Döner kebab, döner or Gyro (food), gyro meat, covered ...
'' – a Dutch dish consisting of fries topped with
döner
Doner kebab (, ; tr, döner or , ), also spelled döner kebab, is a type of kebab, made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cook ...
or
shawarma
Shawarma (; ar, شاورما) is a popular Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Tradition ...
meat, melted
Gouda cheese
Gouda (, , ;
nl, Goudse kaas, "cheese from Gouda") is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar ...
, and dressed salad greens
*
Munchy box – an inexpensive dish sold by fast-food and
takeaway
A take-out or takeout (U.S., Canada, and the Philippines); carry-out or to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada); takeaway (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and occasionally in Nort ...
restaurants, primarily in the
West of Scotland region and
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
*
Poutine
Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding it ...
– a Canadian dish prepared with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy
*
Spice bag – a fast food dish popular in Ireland inspired by Asian cuisine
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{Potato dishes
Australian fusion cuisine
Australian cuisine
Fast food
Halal food
Kebabs
Potato dishes
Turkish fusion cuisine