{{Short description|Australian halal dish}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox food | name = Halal snack pack | image = File:Hspchips (cropped).jpg | image_size = 250 | image_alt = | caption = A halal snack pack | alt = AB packs | alternate_name = {{hlist|HSP|AB|meat in a box|meat on chips|meat box|snack box|snack pack|kebab snack plate|mixed meat package|kebab box}} | country = Australia | region = Australasia | national_cuisine = Australian cuisine | creator = | type = | course = Main | served = Hot | main_ingredient = {{hlist|Doner kebab| chips|sauces|cheese (optional)}} | minor_ingredient = | variations = | calories = | other = }} A '''halal snack pack''' is an Australian fast food dish consisting of halal-certified doner kebab meat (lamb, chicken, beef, or a combination) and chips.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Ewart | first1=J. | last2=O'Donnell | first2=K. | title=Reporting Islam: International best practice for journalists | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2018 | isbn=978-1-351-78051-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUxWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT202 | access-date=February 12, 2019 | page=pt202}}</ref> It also includes different kinds of sauces, usually chilli, garlic, and barbecue (sometimes known as the "holy trinity"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lutze |first=Tristan |date=July 2, 2016 |title=The wonderful world of Halal Snack Packs |url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/the-wonderful-world-of-halal-snack-packs/news-story/5fc2ce7906f4162cff40c6ba62846d4f |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111213636/https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/the-wonderful-world-of-halal-snack-packs/news-story/5fc2ce7906f4162cff40c6ba62846d4f |archive-date=11 November 2020 |access-date=2025-03-31 |work=news.com.au |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>).<ref name="MTV 2016" /> Yoghurt or yoghurt sauce,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The best Halal Snack Packs in Sydney |url=https://www.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/the-best-halal-snack-packs-in-sydney |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Time Out Sydney |language=en-AU |archive-date=30 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130014454/https://www.timeout.com/sydney/restaurants/the-best-halal-snack-packs-in-sydney |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Please explain the halal snack pack? You've got it! |url=https://www.delicious.com.au/food-files/article/please-explain-halal-snack-pack-youve-got/52a7a79c-08c5-445b-8f89-343f9d65954c |access-date=30 November 2022 |website=delicious.com.au |archive-date=5 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305045100/https://www.delicious.com.au/food-files/article/please-explain-halal-snack-pack-youve-got/52a7a79c-08c5-445b-8f89-343f9d65954c |url-status=live }}</ref> cheese, jalapeño peppers, and tabbouleh are also common additions. While the snack pack was traditionally served in a polystyrene container, it is now most commonly served in moulded pulp or cardboard containers, as most Australian states have banned single-use plastic packaging.<ref name="single-use plastic ban">{{Cite web|title=Which Australian states are banning single-use plastics?|url=https://www.marineconservation.org.au/which-australian-states-are-banning-single-use-plastics/|access-date=29 August 2023|archive-date=31 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531224211/https://www.marineconservation.org.au/which-australian-states-are-banning-single-use-plastics/|url-status=live}}</ref> The snack pack has been described as a staple takeaway dish of kebab shops in Australia.<ref name="MTV 2016"/><ref name="Safi Hunt Wall 2016"/>
Some Australian restaurant menus refer to the dish as a "snack pack", "snack box" or "mixed plate".<ref name="MTV 2016"/> The name of the dish was voted by readers of the Macquarie Dictionary as the "People's Choice Word of the Year" for 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/halal-snack-pack-named-peoples-choice-word-of-2016-by-macquarie-dictionary-20170201-gu2ui2.html|title=Halal snack pack named people's choice word of 2016 by Macquarie Dictionary|work=The Age|date=1 February 2017|access-date=3 September 2021|archive-date=1 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801001459/https://www.theage.com.au/national/halal-snack-pack-named-peoples-choice-word-of-2016-by-macquarie-dictionary-20170201-gu2ui2.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In Western Australia, the dish is often called a "meat box", and in Adelaide it is known as an "AB".{{Efn|The name supposedly stands for "abortion", but other variants include "after birth", "absolutely beautiful" or "atomic bomb".}}<ref >{{cite web|url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/halal-snack-pack-no-adelaides-version-called-ab|title=Halal Snack Pack? No, Adelaide's Version is Called an "AB"|work=Broadsheet|date=11 July 2016|access-date=29 August 2023|archive-date=10 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110120313/https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/halal-snack-pack-no-adelaides-version-called-ab|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Natasha |date=9 April 2012 |title=Where is Adelaide's Best AB? |url=https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaides-best-ab/ |website=weekendnotes.com |access-date=27 September 2023 |archive-date=31 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531224157/https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaides-best-ab/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The dish also exists in New Zealand, where it is known as '''meat on chips'''.<ref name=Kitchin />{{failed verification|date=October 2025|reason=No mention of halal in source.}} A similar food is the Dutch kapsalon.
==History== According to some, snack packs date back at least to the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/05/09/unpacking-halal-snack-pack|title=Unpacking the halal snack pack|work=Food|access-date=2018-01-28|language=en|archive-date=10 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110114809/https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/05/09/unpacking-halal-snack-pack|url-status=live}}</ref> They have since become a quintessential Australian dish.<ref name="Unpacking the Halal Snack Pack SBS News 2016">{{cite web|last1=Bartholomeusz|first1=Rachel|title=Unpacking the Halal Snack Pack|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/05/09/unpacking-halal-snack-pack|website=SBS news|date=9 May 2016|publisher=SBS|access-date=17 May 2016|archive-date=20 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520133407/http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/05/09/unpacking-halal-snack-pack|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink/article/explaining-halal-snack-pack|title=Explaining the Halal Snack Pack|first=Jack|last=Kerr|date=21 June 2016|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=18 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818003301/https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink/article/explaining-halal-snack-pack|url-status=live}}</ref> Variations or similar dishes exist in other countries; examples include "doner meat and chips" in the United Kingdom, "kebab meat on chips" in New Zealand,<ref name=Kitchin>{{Cite web |last=Kitchin |first=Tom |date=2019-12-05 |title=Kebab meat on chips is an Uber Eats favourite – I'm hooked too |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/reviews/117981291/kebab-meat-on-chips-is-an-uber-eats-favourite--im-hooked-too |access-date=2024-04-06 |website=Stuff |archive-date=10 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610074616/https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/reviews/117981291/kebab-meat-on-chips-is-an-uber-eats-favourite--im-hooked-too |url-status=live }}</ref> "''Döner-Box''" in Germany, "''kapsalon''" ("barbershop") in the Netherlands and Belgium, "''kebabtallrik''" ("kebab plate") in Sweden,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt?programid=4969|title=En kebabtallrik|publisher=Sverge Radio}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freestylecookery.com/2009/11/recipe-kebab-platter-kebabtallrik.html|title=Recipe - Kebab platter/Kebabtallrik|author=Mike|date=12 November 2009|publisher=Freestyle Cookery|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=31 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531224157/http://www.freestylecookery.com/2009/11/recipe-kebab-platter-kebabtallrik.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://trulyswedish.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/allting-pa-introducing-the-kebabtallrik-a-swedish-delicacy/|title=Allting på? Introducing the kebabtallrik – A Swedish delicacy|publisher=Truly Swedish|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006125237/https://trulyswedish.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/allting-pa-introducing-the-kebabtallrik-a-swedish-delicacy/|archive-date=2016-10-06}}</ref> "gyro fries" in the United States, and "''kebab ranskalaisilla''" ("kebab with French fries") in Finland.
In late 2015, following the creation of the Facebook group ''Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society'', a subculture formed around the dish that was known to bring cultures together.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/food/halal-snack-packs-the-fast-food-bringing-cultures-together-1.160239/|title=Halal snack packs: the fast food bringing cultures together|first=Engel|last=Schmidl|date=25 July 2016|work=The National|publisher=Abu Dhabi Media|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=28 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728021141/http://www.thenational.ae/arts-life/food/halal-snack-packs-the-fast-food-bringing-cultures-together|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Guardian 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/19/the-halal-snack-pack-a-fast-track-to-a-heart-attack-or-worse|title=The halal snack pack: a fast track to a heart attack? Or worse?|first1=Michael|last1=Safi|first2=Elle|last2=Hunt|first3=Josh|last3=Wall|date=19 April 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=26 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626193434/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/19/the-halal-snack-pack-a-fast-track-to-a-heart-attack-or-worse|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Guardian 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/video/2016/apr/19/halal-snack-pack-bridging-cultures-or-a-recipe-for-radicalisation-video|title=Halal snack pack: bridging cultures or a recipe for radicalisation?|first1=Josh|last1=Wall|first2=Julian|last2=Chung|work=The Guardian|date=19 April 2016 }}</ref> 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 which is credited for much of the increase in attention paid to this dish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mamamia.com.au/halal-snack-pack/|title=An important look inside the contents of a Halal Snack Pack|first=Katy|last=Hall|date=5 July 2016|work=Mama Mia|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=17 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817134013/http://www.mamamia.com.au/halal-snack-pack/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sky News 2016"/>
==In popular culture== thumb|upright=1.1|A halal snack pack served on a ceramic plate 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/pauline-hanson-loses-it-over-halal-snack-packs/news-story/a52ed6c717833bdc81c14839e5de9518|title=There's one thing you don't want to mention to Pauline Hanson.|work=news.com.au|access-date=14 August 2016|archive-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813132055/http://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/pauline-hanson-loses-it-over-halal-snack-packs/news-story/a52ed6c717833bdc81c14839e5de9518|url-status=live}}</ref> In response, several Australian restaurants created a Pauline Hanson-inspired halal snack pack.<ref name="carrot-pack">{{cite web | url = https://www.timeout.com/sydney/blog/a-sydney-restaurant-has-invented-a-vegan-pauline-hanson-halal-snack-pack-080216 | title = A Sydney restaurant has invented a vegan Pauline Hanson Halal Snack Pack | work = timeout.com | last = Herring | first = Freya | date = 2 August 2016 | access-date = 14 August 2016 | archive-date = 17 September 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160917110418/https://www.timeout.com/sydney/blog/a-sydney-restaurant-has-invented-a-vegan-pauline-hanson-halal-snack-pack-080216 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Young | first = Matt | date = July 18, 2016 | title = Melbourne restaurant creates Aussie version of Pauline Hanson-inspired Halal Snack Pack | url = https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/food/melbourne-restaurant-creates-aussie-version-of-pauline-hansoninspired-halal-snack-pack/news-story/f56f392167a66dbd31b2dd1e1e0fb9a6 | access-date = 21 January 2018 | website = The Courier Mail }}</ref> There has also been a GoFundMe campaign to turn Hanson's former fish and chip shop into a pop-up halal snack pack stand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-gofundme-campaign-wants-to-make-pauline-hansons-former-fish-chip-shop-halal-2016-7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706154038/http://www.businessinsider.com.au/this-gofundme-campaign-wants-to-make-pauline-hansons-former-fish-chip-shop-halal-2016-7|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 July 2016|title=This GoFundMe campaign wants to make Pauline Hanson's former fish & chip shop halal|first=Simon|last=Thomsen|date=4 July 2016|work=Business Insider|access-date=14 August 2016}}</ref>
==Similar dishes== The "AB" dish in Adelaide is gyros meat topped with chips, garlic sauce or chilli sauce, and sometimes barbecue sauce or tomato sauce.<ref name="MD-1"/><ref name="Gourmantic 2011"/><ref name="Broadsheet">{{cite web|url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/halal-snack-pack-no-adelaides-version-called-ab|title=Halal Snack Pack? No, Adelaide's version is called an "AB"|first=Katie|last=Spain|date=11 July 2016|work=Broadsheet|publisher=Broadsheet Media|access-date=28 July 2016|archive-date=10 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110120313/https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/halal-snack-pack-no-adelaides-version-called-ab|url-status=live}}</ref> The dish is sometimes served with alcoholic beverages.<ref name="MD-1"/> Two restaurants in Adelaide 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.<ref name="MD-1"/><ref name="WeekendNotes"/><ref>Hough, Andrew. (14 July 2005). "Rivals Lay Claim to the 'Absolutely Beautiful' - Cafe's Messy Meal Turns Into a Title Fight", ''The Advertiser'', p29.</ref> The "AB" may be placed at the centre of the table and shared.<ref name="WeekendNotes"/><ref>McCann, James (23 April 2016). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160427105722/http://ripitup.com.au/food-and-drink/adelaide-best-ab#.V3xfqPl96Un Who Makes Adelaide's Best AB?]", ''Rip It Up'', Adelaide. Archived from the [http://ripitup.com.au/food-and-drink/adelaide-best-ab original] on 27 April 2016.</ref>
The Healthy Snack Pack is a variant of the Halal Snack Pack where the chips are replaced by a choice of salad.{{Cn|date=November 2024}}
<gallery class="center" caption="Similar dishes" widths="220px" heights="160px"> File:Adelaide vs Melbourne AWAY-2886587.jpeg|An "AB" from Adelaide File:Tacos El Gordo Carne Asada Fries close up.jpg|''Carne asada'' fries at Tacos El Gordo, Chula Vista, California File:Kapsalon Amstelveen.jpg|''Kapsalon'' File:Munchy Box.jpg|A "munchy box" File:Healthy Snack Pack.jpg|A chicken Healthy Snack Pack from Penrith, New South Wales </gallery>
==See also== {{Portal|Australia|Food}} * Munchy box – an inexpensive dish sold by fast-food and takeaway restaurants, primarily in the West of Scotland region and Glasgow * Poutine – a Canadian dish originating in Quebec, prepared with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy * Spice bag – a chip-based fast food dish popular in Ireland inspired by East and Southeast Asian cuisine * Yaroa – a similar street food in the Dominican Republic * Garbage plate – a similar dish from Rochester, New York, United States * List of accompaniments to french fries * List of meat and potato dishes
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs= <ref name="Sky News 2016">{{cite web | title=Senator rates halal snack pack a 10 | website=Sky News Australia | date=March 17, 2016 | url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/federal/2016/03/17/senator-rates-halal-snack-pack-a-10.html | access-date=April 30, 2016 | archive-date=12 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912221333/http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/federal/2016/03/17/senator-rates-halal-snack-pack-a-10.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Safi Hunt Wall 2016">{{cite web | last1=Safi | first1=Michael | last2=Hunt | first2=Elle | last3=Wall | first3=Josh | title=The halal snack pack: a fast track to a heart attack? Or worse? | website=the Guardian | date=April 18, 2016 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/19/the-halal-snack-pack-a-fast-track-to-a-heart-attack-or-worse | access-date=April 30, 2016 | archive-date=26 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626193434/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/19/the-halal-snack-pack-a-fast-track-to-a-heart-attack-or-worse | url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="MTV 2016">{{cite web | title=Your Local Kebab Shop Is Now Trending, Introducing Your New Facebook Group Obsession | website=MTV | date=March 14, 2016 | url=http://www.mtv.com.au/travel/news/introducing-your-new-facbook-group-obsession-the-halal-snack-pack-appreciation-society | access-date=April 30, 2016 | archive-date=6 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506133546/http://www.mtv.com.au/travel/news/introducing-your-new-facbook-group-obsession-the-halal-snack-pack-appreciation-society | url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="MD-1">{{cite web|url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/aus/word/map/search/word/AB/Adelaide%20Region/|title=Macquarie Dictionary|website=Macquariedictionary.com.au|access-date=30 April 2016|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506133554/https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/aus/word/map/search/word/AB/Adelaide%20Region/|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Gourmantic 2011">{{cite web | title=The AB at Blue & White Café North Adelaide | website=Gourmantic | date=January 24, 2011 | url=http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/01/24/the-ab-at-blue-white-cafe-north-adelaide/ | access-date=April 30, 2016 | archive-date=3 June 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603024244/http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/01/24/the-ab-at-blue-white-cafe-north-adelaide/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="WeekendNotes">{{cite web | title=Where is Adelaides Best AB? | website=WeekendNotes | url=http://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaides-best-ab/ | access-date=April 30, 2016 | archive-date=6 May 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506133602/http://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaides-best-ab/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
==Further reading== * {{cite web | last=Sargeant | first=Chloe | title=The Halal Snack Pack has officially gone international | website=SBS | date=April 20, 2017 | url=http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2017/04/20/halal-snack-pack-has-officially-gone-international | access-date=July 29, 2017}} * {{cite web | last=Jones | first=Anna | title=Halal snack pack: The kebab that defined Australia in 2016 | website=BBC News | date=February 1, 2017 | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38824058 | access-date=July 29, 2017}} * {{cite web | last=Woods | first=Emily | title=Halal snack pack named people's choice word of 2016 by Macquarie Dictionary | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=January 1, 2017 | url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/halal-snack-pack-named-peoples-choice-word-of-2016-by-macquarie-dictionary-20170201-gu2ui2.html | access-date=July 29, 2017}} * {{cite web | last=Butler | first=Josh | title='Halal Snack Pack' Is Macquarie Dictionary's Runner-Up Word Of The Year | website=Huffington Post Australia | date=January 24, 2017 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/24/halal-snack-pack-is-macquarie-dictionarys-runner-up-word-of-t_a_21661984/ | access-date=July 29, 2017}} * {{cite web | last=Romaine | first=Rose | title=The Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society Is Uniting Australia With Kebab Meat | website=Vice | date=April 6, 2016 | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-halal-snack-pack-appreciation-society/ | access-date=April 30, 2016}} * {{cite book |author=Pawsey, Rosa K. | title=Case Studies in Food Microbiology for Food Safety and Quality | publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry | date=2002 | url=https://archive.org/details/casestudiesinfoo0000paws |url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/casestudiesinfoo0000paws/page/109 109] | isbn=0854046267}}
==External links== {{External media|float=right|width= |video1= [https://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/watch/31864783/the-worlds-biggest-halal-snack-pack/#page1 "The world's biggest halal snack-pack"]. ''Sunrise''.}} * {{commons-inline}}
{{Potato dishes}} {{Australian cuisine}}
Category:Australian cuisine Category:Australian fusion cuisine Category:Fast food Category:Halal food Category:Kebabs Category:Meat and potatoes dishes Category:New Zealand cuisine Category:Turkish fusion cuisine