isithalal.food

Is Spanakopita Halal?

It depends on what the label says.

Halal if verified
Medium confidence About this ruling

About this ruling

Condition
Verify the product or supplier in hand
Evidence confidence
Medium means the sources are named, but they do not pin the evidence to a specific market or product. Use this page as orientation, then read the pack in your hand.
How we score High, Medium, and Low

Reviewed

Spanakopita is a Greek pie of spinach, feta, spring onions, dill and egg in layers of phyllo brushed with olive oil or butter.

Next step Check the feta's rennet if that matters to you, or choose the cheese-free Lenten version. How to verify
Scan a label

Photo: Alpha · CC BY-SA 2.0

How to verify

  1. Spinach, herbs, onions, egg, phyllo and olive oil or butter are Halal.
  2. Feta is set with rennet; microbial rennet is Halal, and animal rennet follows the cheese page.
  3. Nistisimi (Lenten) spanakopita has no cheese or egg.

Quick checks

  • Spinach, herbs, egg and phyllo are Halal.
  • Feta is set with rennet; check it if that matters to you, or choose a Lenten pie with no cheese.
  • Phyllo is brushed with olive oil or butter, and both are fine.

What decides the answer

  • Spanakopita with feta made from microbial rennet

    Halal

  • Lenten spanakopita without cheese

    Halal

  • Feta with animal rennet

    see the cheese page

  • Bakery pie with unknown feta

    Halal if verified

Why this ruling

Spanakopita is Greece's spinach pie: wilted spinach mixed with crumbled feta, spring onions, dill, parsley and egg, layered between sheets of phyllo brushed with olive oil or butter, and baked until the top shatters. It is made as a large tray pie cut into squares, or as small triangles (spanakopitakia) sold in every bakery.[3][1]

What is in it

Ingredient Halal?
Spinach, spring onions, leeks, dill, parsley Yes
Egg Yes
Phyllo pastry (flour, water, oil, a little vinegar) Yes
Olive oil or butter for brushing Yes
Feta Check the rennet

The feta

Feta is made from sheep's milk, with some goat's milk, and set with rennet. Traditional feta often uses animal rennet; many brands use microbial rennet and say so on the pack. Microbial rennet or rennet from a Halal-slaughtered animal is Halal, pork rennet is not, and rennet from an animal not slaughtered Islamically is a difference between scholars.[2] See cheese.

Lenten spanakopita

During Orthodox Lent and on fasting days, Greek bakeries sell nistisimi spanakopita, made with spinach, greens, herbs and olive oil only, with no cheese and no egg. It avoids the rennet question entirely and is a good choice whenever you see it. Its cousin hortopita uses wild greens in the same way.

Frozen and bakery pies

Frozen spanakopita and supermarket triangles list their cheese and fat. Look for "microbial rennet" or a vegetarian mark if the feta matters to you. Phyllo is not made with lard.

For other Greek pastries, see bougatsa, and for the salad often served beside it, Greek salad.

Frequently asked questions

Is spanakopita Halal?
The spinach, herbs, egg and phyllo are. The feta is set with rennet, so check it if that matters to you, or choose a Lenten spanakopita with no cheese.
Is phyllo made with lard?
No. Phyllo is flour, water, oil and a little vinegar, and the layers are brushed with olive oil or butter.
Is Lenten spanakopita Halal?
Yes. The Lenten version has no cheese or egg: spinach, herbs and olive oil in phyllo.
Is shop-bought spanakopita Halal?
Read the label for the cheese's rennet and the pastry fat. Some frozen brands use vegetable fat and microbial rennet.

Scholarly view

Vegetables, egg, phyllo and oil are Halal. The feta follows the rennet rules on the cheese page.

Sources

Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.

Islamic / scriptural

  1. Qur'an 5:3

    Qur'an Retrieved

    Swine prohibition.

Context / background

  1. Wikipedia: Spanakopita (spinach pie)

    Wikipedia Retrieved

    Culinary identity: Savoury pastry filled with chopped spinach, usually feta or white cheese, and egg. Identity context, not a Halal certificate.

  2. Visit Greece

    Retrieved

    Tourism / identity context.

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