It's easy for Americans to get the false impression that Islam is a mostly Arabian religion. In fact, only about one in eight Muslims around the world is ethnically Arab, and only one in five speaks Arabic as a primary language. The country with the highest Muslim population, at 205 million, is Indonesia, followed by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey and Egypt. (Iraq and Saudi Arabia are 12th and 15th on the list, respectively.) As most other members of their faith do, Turkish Muslims (generally Sunni) adhere to a strict set of food standards called halal. That's the transliterated Arabic word for permissible, pronounced "huh'LAHL." As in the kashrut (kosher) canon of Jewish food standards, Muslims may never eat pork. Other haram (forbidden) products are alcohol, blood, gelatin, nutmeg and vanilla extract. In general, vegan and vegetarian foods are halal. According to some estimates, about one-sixth of all money spent on food and beverage products worldwide pays for hal?l-certified items.

Halal includes rules about how such permissible food animals as cows and goats may be slaughtered. The animal must be isolated from other beasts, oriented toward the qiblah (direction) of Mecca and blessed with a prayer of Bismillah (in God's name - and yes, that is the Arabic word used in "Bohemian Rhapsody"). Then the animal is most often stunned, after which it's dispatched by a deep, rapid throat slash from a sharpened knife.

Many non-Muslims worry about food procurement and safety these days as well, of course, which lends appeal to both halal and kosher preparation standards. Whatever one's religion, a visit to halal eatery Mediterranean Breeze in Olympia is a satisfying culinary getaway. Owners Mehmet and son Telat Sipahioglu came to the United States in 2002 and opened their restaurant in the summer of 2015. They sell beer, wine and cocktails, but otherwise their pan-Mediterranean menu conforms to halal. On a recent visit, we enjoyed a reasonably-priced lunch of seasoned fries, fresh pita bread and a kofte (meatball) burger in iskender yogurt sauce. The restaurant offers wood-fired pizzas, kebabs and pides (Turkish calzones) along with a variety of soups, salads, hummus, stuffed grape leaves and two kinds of baklava.

Other nearby restaurants that conform to halal standards are International Food & Gyro Place (7510 40th St. NW) in Tacoma and Passage to India (810 Sleater Kinney Rd. SE) and Safura's Mediterranean Cuisine (4160 Sixth Ave. SE #103) in Lacey. Halal groceries may be purchased at KN Halal Market (7255 Martin Way E., Olympia). In Tacoma, diners and shoppers enjoy hal?l ingredients at Daniah's International Market & Deli (6603 Sixth Ave.) It's fairly easy to buy halal meats and ingredients at most neighborhood Cash & Carry, Costco, Safeway or Whole Foods stores. As the Turks say, afiyet olsun - healthy eating!

Mediterranean Breeze Restaurant & Bar, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 12:30-9 p.m., Sunday, 2302 Harrison Ave. NW, Olympia, 360.915.7343