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Are Cheetos Halal Or Haram? Find Out The Answer


The world of different snacks impresses us. Today you can choose from a wide diversity of snacks of different kinds – sweet, salty, spicy, or sour. Some of them are healthy, and some – are not that much. Among this diversity, Cheetos are very popular. Crunchy, puffs flamin’ hot – you can find everything you like. Even though they are tasty, another question arises – are Cheetos halal or haram? This is a very specific question and this article will help you find the answer.

Are Cheetos Halal or Haram?

Cheetos are not halal, therefore, they should be considered haram according to Islamic laws. The main reason why they are not halal lies in the ingredients and the way they are made. Cheetos have many ingredients that are considered haram, in other words, unlawful. 

What Is Halal and Haram Food?

In Islam, halal refers to everything permitted under the Islam religion. Although in most cases it applied to food, any actions which are permissible under Islam laws are halal. On the other hand, haram or non-halal refers to everything prohibited and unlawful according to Islamic teachings.

The notion of halal food in Islam is similar to kosher food in Judaism. Overall, all food that is not explicitly prohibited in the Quran, is halal. For example, most vegan food is halal only if it does not contain alcohol. It is a bit more complicated with meat. Thus, for the meat to be halal, the animal has to be slaughtered in a certain manner. Thus, it has to die by cutting the carotid artery, jugular vein, or windpipe to drain all blood because consumption of blood is haram. However, regardless of how the animal was slaughtered, some meat is still haram. Some haram products include:

  • Blood;

  • Pork and its by-products;

  • Alcohol;

  • Meat that was slaughtered for idols;

  • Dead animals that were not slaughtered;

  • Birds of prey.

If some food contains by-products of non-halal products, the food is considered haram as well. This can also apply to Cheetos. Everything depends on the ingredients and their origin.

What Are Cheetos Made Of?

The main ingredients of Cheetos are cornmeal and vegetable oil (can be corn oil, sunflower oil, or canola). Other ingredients are natural and artificial flavors, cheese seasoning, and maltodextrin. Cheese seasoning consists of whey, milk, cheddar cheese, assorted cheese cultures, and salt. 

Cheetos are one of the most popular snacks in the US and around the world. They were invented in 1948 in Dallas. The very first product – Crunchy Cheetos – is still a trending option. But since then Cheetos’ shelf has been added by other Cheetos products such as Cheetos Puffs, Flamin’ Hot, and others.

Are Cheetos Halal?

Cheetos are not halal, they are haram because they contain ingredients that are haram under Islamic laws. Such ingredients include monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial colors which are derived from insects, and whey. 

Cheetos themselves do not have any haram products, such as pork or alcohol. However, many of their ingredients are considered non-halal. For instance, whey – one of the cheese seasoning ingredients is haram. Whey is a by-product of milk that is made after milk is curdled. Not all whey is haram. Thus, if the production of cheese and whey rennet that was used was halal, whey is good to consume under Islamic laws.

Renner is extracted from an animal’s stomach. And here if an animal was slaughtered in a halal way, rennet and, as a consequence, whey will be halal. PepsiCo itself, as a company producing Cheetos, said that it is better to avoid its products containing whey if consumers are concerned with halal food.

Some artificial colors used for Cheetos are derived from insects, which are considered unclean, therefore, non-halal. Red cheese powder is made from corn starch and cow fat which also can be considered haram.

Monosodium glutamate as an ingredient is derived from pork or beef residue, therefore, also falls among non-halal foods. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer to intensify the meaty and savory taste.

As one can see, the question if Cheetos are halal is complex and depends on the ingredients and how they were derived. Therefore, before buying your favorite snacks, read the ingredients list and make sure it is safe to eat for Muslims. Also, different countries may have different ingredients lists for Cheetos production to take into consideration laws and people’s preferences.

Are Cheetos Puffs Halal?

Cheetos Puffs contain milk cheese enzymes which can be considered haram Therefore, Cheetos Puffs in general are non-halal. 

Cheetos Puffs are among the most popular Cheetos snacks and they are sold all over the world. Their production requires such ingredients: cornmeal, whey, artificial coloring, natural and artificial flavoring, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, lactic acid, maltodextrin, milk cheese enzymes, and canola oil. In addition to cheese enzymes, monosodium glutamate and whey can also be haram.

Are Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Halal?

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are not halal since they contain porcine cheese enzymes and seasoning that are derived from pork. Since pork and its derivatives are non-halal products, Hot Cheetos are haram and cannot be consumed by Muslims who make their diets under the laws.

You cannot even suspect that the package of your favorite Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has pork products inside. How is that even possible? But it is true. Among other ingredients that all Cheetos have, Hot Cheetos have enzymes and seasoning that are made of pork derivatives. Therefore, devoted Muslims should avoid such snacks.

Are Cheetos Crunchy Halal?

A close look into the Crunchy Cheetos ingredients allows seeing that Crunchy Cheetos are halal and are safe for people who profess Islam. Unlike other Cheetos, Crunchy has halal enzymes which are not derived from pork or other intoxicants and does not have MSG or whey. Jalapeno Cheetos also are halal and Muslims can safely enjoy cheesy spicy snacks.

Conclusion

At the first glance, we may think that it is a halal product, but a closer look changes our opinion. Such ingredients as monosodium glutamate, whey, or animal enzymes are derived from non-halal products and are considered haram. Therefore cheetos are not halal!

FAQ

Are Cheetos Vegan Friendly?

Cheetos are not vegan-friendly and are not the food choice for vegans. In addition to having dairy products (cheese flavor), they have animal-derived enzymes, for example, from pork.

Do Cheetos Have Pork?

In the traditional meaning of the word, Cheetos do not have pork. However, enzymes used for Cheetos production are sometimes derived from pork, Therefore, Cheetos have pork products.

Are Cheetos Cheese Flavors Halal?

Unfortunately, Cheetos Cheese flavors are not halal. The reason is because flavors contain pork and bee by-products which are not halal. Cheese flavor is haram to consume for Muslims.

Mexican Chocolate Mousse Recipe


I can’t stand avocados.  I feel like I’m eating slime.  But they are good for me, so I spread them all mushed up on my morning toast, with so many added flavourings that I can’t actually taste the avocado anymore.  I’ve now discovered a much MUCH nicer way to get my serve of ‘good’ dietary fats, and it’s in the form of this decadent dessert.  It’s not particularly sweet, is raw (so no cooking – yay!), is super-easy (just chuck everything into a food processor), and most importantly – it does NOT taste of avocado!  If you didn’t know it was in there, you wouldn’t believe me.

I also plan to make a more sweet version of this, minus the chilli and cinnamon, and with the addition of agave nectar.  Of course, I’ll let you know how that one goes too.

Mexican Chocolate Mousse Fast Recipe

Serves 4 (but I think it should serve 6, it’s really rich and I couldn’t eat a whole serve in one go – but my husband did…)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted
  • 8 Medjool dates, soaked for at least 1 hour
  • 4 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1/2 cup water

Method:

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except water. With the processor running, drizzle in water, stopping to scrape sides of bowl if need be, until smooth and creamy.

Done!  Told you it was easy 🙂  I’ve served mine in champagne saucers, plopped three dark-chocolate coated blueberries in each one, then sprinkled them with vanilla sugar.

Customizing this mousse is a breeze if you’re not in the mood for a chocolaty treat. Here are a few favorite variations (I have not tried any of these):

  • For lemon pudding: Omit cocoa, chilli powder, and cinnamon, and add the zest and juice of one lemon
  • For vanilla pudding: Omit cocoa, chilli powder, and cinnamon, and add  teaspoon vanilla and a touch of sea salt
  • For Harvest pudding: Omit cocoa and chilli powder, and add one baked sweet potato

Authentic Lebanese Mujadara Recipe


This recipe was given to me by a Lebanese friend who’s mum makes this all the time.  When he was explaining the recipe, it didn’t really sound particularly amazing, but how wrong I was!  It seems like there’s alot of oil in this dish (and there is, I suppose) but it doesn’t actually taste oily, trust me.

The way to eat this yummy dish is to grab some Imjaddarra and some salad together on your fork, and eat it in the same mouthful. You’ll get a really awesome contrast of hot & cold, and soft & crunchy. Amazing! Also, it goes really well with a glass of Rosé.

Lebanese Mujadara Easy Recipe

Serves: Heaps!

Time: Approx 45-60mins (not all of it in front of the stovetop!)

Ingredients:

  • 3 onions (4 onions if you want to be fancy and do the garnish)
  • 2 cups brown lentils (also known as green lentils)
  • 1 cup rice
  • Olive oil
  • Water
  • Big saucepan
  • Frypan

Directions:

  1. Add the lentils to the saucepan, cover with water until the water is about 5cm above the lentils, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a high simmer, and simmer until lentils are softened. Scoop out any foamy stuff from the top of the water, as this can make you gassy (yuck!). Keep an eye on the water level, never let the lentils become uncovered by the water. Add more during cooking if necessary.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, roughly chop the onions and add to the frypan, add olive until the onions are almost covered. It will seem like you’re using way too much oil, but don’t worry, it gets absorbed by both the onions and the lentils during cooking, and helps to impart a delicious flavour to the dish. And anyway, olive oil is good for you .
  3. Cook the onions on a medium-high heat, but not too high so that the oil splatters, until the onions are well and truly browned. The browner the better, but not burnt please!
  4. By the time your onions are ready, your lentils should also be cooked. There should still be some water on top of the lentils, if not, add a bit.
  5. If you’re doing the fancy onion garnish, remove some of the onion from the frypan now and set aside. Then, empty the contents of the frypan into the lentil pot – that’s all the onions, and all the oil too. Also add the rice to the pot.
  6. Stir until combined, and cook until all the water has been absorbed by the rice.

Serve!

For fancy moulded serving (as per photo), line a small bowl with foil, then press the mixture into the bowl. Cover with foil for 5 mins or so to keep the heat in, then upturn onto a plate and remove foil. Voila! If you’re garnishing, add some of the reserved onion on top of the moulded dish.

For the salad:

I suppose you could really do any salad you want, the ingredients for my salad in the photo was:

  • Truss tomatoes
  • Red capsicum
  • Purple cabbage
  • Red onions (but not too much as there’s heaps of onions in the Imjaddarra)
  • Daikon (or some sort of radish)
  • Tat soi (or some sort of leafy green or lettuce)

Chop everything up, combine with some olive oil and lemon juice.

Eat!

Thai Kaeng Lieng Soup (Vegetable Soup) Recipe


A spicy, vegetable rich dish, this is a hearty Thai soup recipe with fresh sharp flavours. Ideal for a cold winters day. As with many thai recipes, this is a very healthy low fat meal. As such its a big hit with those watching their calorie intake.

You can vary what vegetables you add, the main flavour comes from the Kaeng Lien seasoning mix and dried baby shrimp. In this recipe I have added prawns, but this was purely for my own enjoyment. You can leave the soup vegetable only.

Another bonus of this dish is that it is quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are easy to get hold of in any western city.

Thai Kaeng Lieng Soup (Vegetable Soup) Ingredients

* Serves 2

  • 100g of prawns
  • 1/2 cup of watercress
  • 1/2 cup of baby corn
  • 1/2 a gourd
  • 3 mushrooms
  • 1 pack of Kaeng Lieng Mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of dried baby shrimp
  • 3 cups of water

Thai Kaeng Lieng Soup (Vegetable Soup) Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Peel the gourd. When peeled, cut in half lengthways, and then slice into triangles

Thai Kaeng Lieng Soup Ingredients

Step 2: Slice the sweetcorn and mushrooms

Step 3: Add 3 cups of water to a wok and heat. Then add the Kaeng Lieng Seasoning mix and stir thoroughly. Follow by adding the baby shrimp and stirring

Step 4: Add the pepper, and stir

Step 5: Add the mushrooms, watercress, baby corn, and chopped gourd and stir everything together

Kaeng Lieng Soup Ingredients Chopped

Step 6: Let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes, as you want to give the vegetables time to cook. Then add the prawns (if pre cooked. If raw, add them with the vegetables)

Step 7: Stir and let the soup cook for 5 more minutes. By now the vegetables should be white and a bit more translucent

Step 8: If the vegetables dont look cooked, or you have chopped them thicker than shown in the video, then give them a few more minutes. Otherwise, serve in a bowl and enjoy

Kaeng Lieng Soup In Wok

Thai Sour Curry Soup Recipe


This is a hot and sour curry soup, which is ideal with any kind of fish or seafood. In this recipe I have used salmon and prawns. To complement the spicy sour taste, there is a distinct flavour of tamarind provived by the tamarind juice.

The generous amount of vegetables also make this another healthy low fat recipe. This recipe will need a slightly longer cooking time than most Thai soup and Thai curry recipes, as the vegetables need time to cook properly. This Thai curry soup is ideal for those who like spicy seafood dishes.

Thai Sour Curry Soup Ingredients

* Serves 2

  • 2 Salmon Fillets
  • 1 tablespoon of tamarind juice/ tamarind concentrate
  • 1/4 green papaya
  • 100g cauliflower
  • 50g green string beans
  • 1 large leaf of cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
  • 1/2 can sour curry paste
  • 3 chillies
  • 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups of water

Thai Sour Curry Soup Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Peel the papaya, wash, cut in half, and removed the core. Then slice the papaya into fairly thin slices

Thai Sour Curry Soup Ingredients

Step 2: Slice the cabbage, cauliflower, green beans and peppers

Thai Sour Curry Soup Ingredients Chopped

Step 3: Make a verical incision in the chillis so that the insides are released during cooking.Ensure that the storks are removed

Step 4: Cut the salmon fillets into decent sized slices (see video)

Step 5: Heat the water in a wok, and add the sour curry paste. Mix in together. Add the chillies, ensuring you give them a good squashing with your spoon to release their fiery flavour. Mix well

Step 6: Once the soup starts to gently simmer, add the salmon. Be careful with the salmon as you don’t want it to break apart. Gently stir

Step 7: Let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes, then add all of the vegetables and mix everything, being careful not to break up the salmon pieces.

Thai Sour Curry Soup In Wok

Step 8: Let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the fish sauce and tamarind juice. Stir gently

Step 9: Cook for 5 minutes more. By now, the papaya should have turned white, and the salmon should be cooked. Serve in a bowl and enjoy

Thai Sour Curry Soup Recipe

Thai Jungle Curry Recipe


Thai Jungle curry lives up to its name in the sense that it seems to contain all the ingredients of the jungle! This is a vegetable rich, spicy, soup-like curry, that resembles a broth.

In this recipe, I have used fish, but this can be substituted for chicken, pork, beef, Tofu, or can just be left with vegetables as the main ingredient.

Whilst simple to cook, a visit to an Asian grocery store will definitely be required to obtain all the necessary ingredients.

Thai Jungle Curry Ingredients

* Serves 2

  • 1 fillet of cod fish
  • 2 tablespoons of red curry paste
  • 2 mushrooms
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 2 large eggplant bulbs
  • 1/4 cup of baby eggplant
  • 1 kra chai
  • 1/3 cup of prepared bamboo shoots
  • 1/4 cup lime leaves
  • Handful of green string beans
  • 4 baby sweetcorn
  • 3 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
  • 1 tablepoon of lemon juice

Thai Jungle Curry Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables: Chop the mushrooms into fairly thick pieces. Chop the baby sweetcorn lengthways. Tear each baby eggplant bulb off the stork so only the bulb remains. Do the same with the young eggplant, then wash all the eggplants. Chop the young eggplant into quarters, but leave the baby eggplant un chopped. But the green string beans into thirds. Finally, slice the pepper

Thai Jungle Curry Ingredients

Step 2: Thoroughly wash the kra chai, then flatten the bulbous head, and chop the entire vegetable into fine pieces

Thai Jungle Curry Chopped Ingredients

Step 3: Drag a fork along the length of the fish. Keep doing this until the fish becomes completely shredded

Step 4: Add the chopped kra chai to a pan, add the red curry paste, and the 3 cups of water, and turn the cooker to a high heat. Mix the contents together

Step 5: Heat until the curry is simmering, then add all of the vegetables and the lime leaves. Sitr thoroughly

Thai Jungle Curry In Pot

Step 6: After the curry has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the shredded fish, and stir

Step 7: Cook for 5 minutes, before adding the fish sauce and lemon juice. Stir, and allow the contents to simmer for a further 2 minutes, and the curry is ready to serve

Thai Jungle Curry