How to Keep Kosher While Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Anywhere in the World

In some parts of the world — like New York, finding kosher food is the least of your worries. Even many cities that aren’t exactly known for their kosher cuisine still have a falafel stand or a small kosher shop nearby.

But what happens if your travels take you somewhere without a single kosher restaurant, store, or Chabad House? Don’t panic — with a little creativity and preparation, you can still eat well and keep kosher wherever you go.

1. Bring Your Own Food Supply

If you can arrange accommodation with a kitchenette, you’re in great shape. Pack a small pot, frying pan, knife, and cutting board from home, and buy disposable plates and cutlery at your destination. Fruits, vegetables, rice, legumes, kosher fish, and eggs are available almost everywhere — so you can manage long-term.
Alternatively, bring a portable camping stove (buy the gas canister locally).

If you can’t find a kitchenette and don’t want to carry cooking gear, pack a suitcase full of nonperishable food, depending on the length of your trip. In most countries, there are lists of locally available products that are kosher even without certification, verified by the local Jewish community. These lists include basics like bread, juices, and dairy products. For everything else — stock up before you go.

2. Make Use of Hotel Appliances

Before traveling, check what’s available in your hotel room. If you have a kettle, mini fridge, or iron, you’re in luck.

• A mini fridge helps preserve fruits and vegetables for a few days.

• A kettle provides boiling water for many quick meals.

• No kettle? Bring a small electric pot or heating spoon (make sure it fits local outlets). You can even boil eggs with it.

• Wondering why the iron? It doubles as a toaster!

3. Quick Meals Using Hot Water

Bring instant couscous, fine bulgur, instant mashed potatoes, or rice noodles. Just pour boiling water over them, and you have a base for a meal:

• Bulgur tabbouleh: add chopped tomato, cucumber, and parsley.

• Mashed potatoes: add slices of nonperishable sausage.

• Couscous: mix with canned chickpeas, peas, or carrots.

• Rice noodles: drizzle with soy sauce for flavor.

Surprisingly, when you’re abroad and hungry, these simple meals taste gourmet.

4. Fresh Salads on the Go

Wherever you are, you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Try local produce — like fresh blueberries or tropical fruits for variety.

A favorite travel salad: Tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, lettuce, hard-boiled egg, and canned tuna, topped with cashews or peanuts.
Season with olive oil (bring a small sealed bottle from home) and fresh lemon juice. You can also pack mini condiment packets (mayonnaise, Thousand Island, garlic dressing) for easy seasoning.

Other ideas:

• Canned salad: corn, pickles, mushrooms, and red bell pepper.

• Fruit & nut salad: lettuce, mango or nectarine, pecans, and cranberries.

5. The Bread Situation

Bring whole wheat rolls which can stay fresh up to four days. Also pack your favorite sliced bread. If it goes stale, wrap a slice in foil and press it with an iron. This “DIY toaster” revives bread into warm toast!

When the bread’s gone, switch to crackers, pita chips, or breadsticks. Other travelers recommend tortillas, which stay soft for days, or even a small bread maker for fresh loaves anywhere.

6. What to Eat with Bread or Crackers

• Sweet options: bring jam or peanut butter from home.

• Savory options:

  • Tahini salad — prepare small portions from raw tahini each day (keeps about a week without refrigeration).

  • Avocado spread — mash fresh avocado with tomato slices.

  • Egg and tuna sandwich — add small packets of garlic sauce or mayo.

  • Canned spreads — like tuna, salmon, or sardine pâté.

7. Simple Breakfast Hack

Bring mini long-life milk cartons (250 ml) and your favorite granola or cereal. You can also use the milk for coffee — bring single-serve coffee sachets (available in packs of 20 in most supermarkets).

8. Soups in a Cup (or Pot)

If you have an electric spoon or small pot, you can make soups. Mix instant soup powder with matching vegetables:

• Corn soup + canned corn

• Sweet potato soup + thin slices of sweet potato

• Lentil soup + lentils or chickpeas

9. Snacks and Sweets

Most snacks keep well — such as energy bars, Bamba, or nuts.
We love bringing Medjool dates with almonds or walnuts which are perfect for hikes or long drives. Other ideas include sweet potato chips or canned pineapple rings.

10. If Your Hotel Serves Breakfast

There’s often something that you can eat such as fresh fruit, vegetable juices, or sealed items like butter, jam, or honey.

11. Wine for Kiddush

Bring wine from home, but pour it into a plastic bottle to prevent breakage. Keep it chilled when possible.

12. Don’t Forget the Chocolate

When all else fails, good chocolate saves the day. It’s the ultimate comfort food for those tough moments abroad when you’re tired, hungry, and suddenly miss your local pizza place.