Is Kimchi Halal? Fish Sauce, Salted Shrimp and Labels

Kimchi is Korea's fermented vegetable dish. A typical cabbage kimchi is built on napa cabbage, onion, chili flakes, salt, garlic and ginger ^[2]. None of these raise a halal question.

The question comes from the seasoning. Many recipes use jeotgal, a family of salted, fermented seafood. Liquid jeotgal, called aekjeot, is the same thing as fish sauce and is a common kimchi seasoning. Saeu-jeot is salted shrimp, and myeolchi-jeot is salted anchovy ^[1]. Some regional kimchi uses oysters, squid or other seafood, which are also types of jeotgal ^[1].

So whether a kimchi is halal for you depends mostly on which seafood went into it, and on which school you follow.

The Qur'an makes the food of the sea lawful ^[3]. Scholars differ on what counts as sea food:

• Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars allow every creature that lives in the sea ^[4].
• Maliki scholars allow all sea creatures except the eel ^[4].
• Hanafi scholars allow only fish. Prawns and shrimp are debated, and the answer cited treats them as lawful because Arabic usage counted them as fish ^[4].
• Ja'fari rulings allow fish with scales and shrimp, but not other shellfish ^[5].

In practice, kimchi made with anchovy fish sauce and salted shrimp is acceptable under most of these views. Kimchi made with oysters or squid is a problem for Hanafi and Ja'fari followers. See seafood and shrimp.

Seafood is not the only animal ingredient. Mother-in-Law's House Napa Cabbage Kimchi, sold at Whole Foods, lists fish sauce made from anchovies, salted shrimp and beef bone broth ^[2].

Beef broth raises a different question. Beef is a halal animal, but the meat is only halal when the animal was slaughtered with God's name said over it ^[6]. A jar that lists beef broth without a halal certifier is doubtful for many Muslims.

Ingredient lists change, and one brand can sell several recipes. Read the label on the jar you actually buy. Some jars are labeled vegan, which rules out seafood and meat.

Korean food makers have sought halal certification for export. In 2013, CJ CheilJedang received certification from Malaysia's JAKIM for hundreds of products, including sliced kimchi; CJ said its fermented fish sauce was among the ingredients checked ^[7]. Our Home won certification from the Korea Muslim Federation for its kimchi after leaving out fermented shrimp sauce ^[7]. In 2014, Daesang said its Chongga kimchi had earned both halal and kosher marks ^[8].

These reports are years old, and they cover products made for certain markets. A kimchi sold in a US store is only certified if its own package shows a certifier's mark.

1. Read the ingredients. Look for fish sauce, anchovy, shrimp, oyster, squid or any meat broth.
2. Look for a halal mark from a certifier you recognize, or a vegan label.
3. At Korean restaurants, ask. Ask whether the kimchi is made in-house and what seafood or broth seasons it.
4. Watch the dishes kimchi goes into. A stew or fried rice made with kimchi has its own ingredients, so ask what protein and broth are used.

For other Korean staples, see gochujang, Shin Ramyun and Buldak.

If you're unsure, ask a scholar you trust.