Although vanilla extract is used as an ingredient in many dishes, it is an end product in and of itself. Non-wine alcohol is used as a solvent to produce the vanilla extract but is not used as an ingredient therein. As such, it meets the criteria mentioned in both fatwasand is a permissible product.

Consequently, vanilla extract, a permissible product, may be used to flavor a subsequent dish. One is not adding alcohol to the dish but rather adding a product that was manufactured by using alcohol in accordance with the aforementioned criteria.

It would be impermissible, however, to add alcohol directly to the dish for the purpose of flavor, as when beer is added to the batter used to fry fish. There, the ingredient, beer, is not used as a solvent. It is only used to add an element of flavor. These examples explain the difference between adding alcohol to a dish as an ingredient and using it as a solvent in the production of one of the ingredients.

And Allah knows best.

Mf. Siddiq Mohiuddin
Graduate, Darul Iftaa Chicago

Checked and Approved:

Mf. Abrar Mirza
Head Mufti, Darul Iftaa Chicago