Balady Halal Foods

"Balady is one of the best halal markets in Brooklyn, and you can easily spend an hour or two wandering the aisles and picking up everything from Syrian-grown dried rose petals to an entire lamb’s torso at the butcher counter in the back. They have an excellent selection of house-made pickles, olives, and preserved lemons, as well as a vast array of jarred preserves. The first time I went shopping here was with Chawki, and she turned me on to one of my favorite kitchen staples: a Lebanese brand of labneh (look for the one with the cypress tree on the container) that’s so rich and creamy it might replace both yogurt and sour cream for you. It’s also worth popping into Balady’s homegoods store, which is one door over, where you can find cookware as well as some gorgeous coffee and tea sets." - carina finn koeppicus

"Balady is one of the best halal markets in Brooklyn, and you can easily spend an hour or two wandering the aisles and picking up everything from Syrian-grown dried rose petals to an entire lamb’s torso at the butcher counter in the back. They have an excellent selection of house-made pickles, olives, and preserved lemons, as well as a vast array of jarred preserves and a Lebanese brand of labneh (look for the one with the cypress tree on the container) that’s so rich and creamy it might replace both yogurt and sour cream for you. It’s also worth popping into Balady’s homegoods store, which is one door over, where you can find cookware as well as some gorgeous coffee and tea sets." - Carina Finn