One way in which ritual foods of Jews and Muslims are similar in Southwest Asia is the prohibition of consuming pork. Both Judaism and Islam consider pork to be "unclean" and have dietary laws that strictly prohibit its consumption. This dietary prohibition can be seen in both religious texts, with the Torah (Jewish scripture) stating that pork is not to be eaten and the Quran (Islamic scripture) also explicitly forbidding the consumption of pork. As a result, traditional Jewish and Muslim cuisines in Southwest Asia often exclude pork and develop culinary traditions based on alternative meats such as chicken, beef, lamb, and seafood.
