Keeping Kosher While On the Road

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much written on "survival tips" while traveling. However, Jews travel all over the place, and the observant ones manage to do so without violating kashrut. Here are some tricks that I've gleaned from here and there.

1. Plan ahead and order the kosher meal. It'll likely be the last meat you enjoy until you return home. 

2. While in the airport, you can have coffee, soft drinks, fresh fruit, and any packaged food you can find with a "hechser" (OU or other kashrut certification symbol) on it. You'd be surprise at how much there is out there. This will be your chance to stock up on junk food without guilt.

3. If you're staying in hotel, try to get one with a refrigerator in your room. When you get there, go to the store and get things like smoked salmon, tuna, pickled herring, cream cheese, yogurt, bagels, fresh fruit and veggies, cold cereal, milk—and however much junk food you can stand. Make sure your packaged goods (except for the milk in the U.S.) have a hechser on them. And be sure to get some disposable plates and utensils to use instead of whatever permanent flatware and dishes the hotel provides.

4. In a restaurant, your breakfast can consist of cold cereal (if it has a hechser) with milk and sugar. You can also have fresh fruit. For lunch, order tuna (ask for it direct from the can) arranged with a green salad (but no eggs, cheese, or croutons) and oil and lemon on the side. This will come on regular plates, but you'll be okay in this pinch because of the principle of cold on cold not conducting taste. For dinner, if you're ambitious, you can try this idea I found in Blu Greenberg's How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household: explain your situation and ask for a kosher fish baked inside aluminum foil. You can ask the chef to add various fresh ingredients to your taste: garlic, oil, onions, cilantro, etc. Ask them to serve it to you in the foil. You could also get a plain baked potato cooked in foil, but check the butter or margarine for hechser or use oil. Since this is hot food and will be able to transmit taste from an unkashered utensil, ask for plastic utensils and eat from the foil. If you've managed all this, you deserve a stiff drink. (Scotch is good—and kosher.)

5. Keep your eye out for kosher food in the mini-marts and supermarkets. It's all over the place, at least in the U.S. You can eat gourmet, or you can eat junk—but you don't need to starve.—KENNETH GUENTERT

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Copyright © 2004, Schueller House. Revised - 03/18/07

URL: www.schuellerhouse.com/ontheroad.htm