Analysis
Using the maps from our Maps page, we can now answer our resarch questions from the data collected.
1. Are mosques attractors of halal food locations in the nearby community?
A. From Map 1 (Map of Location Type) we can see that there is a good concentration of halal food locations
around mosques, ranging from restaurants to grocery stores and bakeries. Furthermore, from Map 2
(Map of Year of Establishment) we can see that all of the food locations surrounding the mosques were established after the mosque was established, which shows that mosques do act as attractors for halal food locations in the community.
2. Is the ethnicity of the mosque (and its founders)
a reflection of the type of food or ethnicity of the
owners of halal food locations around the mosque?
A. All of the 4 mosques we studied were either founded
by Indians or Pakistanis; these two cultures are very
similar, especially with regards to food. Out of the 40
food locations we studied around these mosques, 21 of
them were owned by either Indians or Pakistanis, as
seen in Map 3 (Map of Ethnicity of Owner/Founder).
Furthermore, if we count those locations owned by
Bengalis and Afghans, cultures who also share many
things common with Indians and Pakistanis, that
number rises up to 34. That shows that there is a strong correlation between the ethnicity of the mosque and the ethnicity of the owners of the food locations around it.
On the other hand, as Map 4 (Map of Ethnicity of Food Served) shows, 15 out of the 30 restaurants and bakeries served either Indian, Pakistan, Afghan or Bengali food, which shows that there is a lot less correlation between the ethnicity of the mosque and the ethnicity of the food served. In fact, the most prevalent ethnicity of food served in these locations was Western food such as pizza and burgers. 9 out of the 30 restaurants and bakeries served Western food, which may hint at halal locations trying more and more to appeal to a Canadian market.
3. Are owners of halal food locations in these communities providing food options related to their ethnicity or are they branching out and offering foods of other cultures? (eg. Pakistani store selling Hakka Chinese food).
A. Map 4 shows that 11 out of the 30 restaurants and bakeries served
food different to the ethnicity of their owner which shows that a
significant amount of halal locations are trying to branch out and
appeal to different ethnicities. As said earlier, 9 of these 11 locations
served Western food which shows a greater willingness for halal
locations to appeal to a Canadian/Western market.
Conclusion
From our research it points clearly to the fact that mosques act as magnets for halal food in their area and that as time passes, the amount of halal food locations increase. Some of the reasons for this could be that as a mosque is a community centre for Muslims, once established, attracts more people towards living nearby. Having more Muslims in the local area increases the demand for halal food options and thus more locations are introduced.
We have also found out that the ethnicity of the mosque has a great bearing on the ethnicity of the owners of the halal food locations around it. This shows that the surrounding Muslim population must be of a similar ethnicity, which is understandable as people may feel more comfortable attending a mosque they can relate to.
At the same time however the halal food businesses around these mosques, while reasonably serving food related to the ethnicity of the mosque, are also offering food from other cultures with many of these outlets serving food not related to their own culture. Western food is by far the most popular among all the halal food locations which again reflects that many businesses are trying to appeal to the broader community.
