Flying With Kosher Jerky, and Eating Kosher in a Hotel
Kosher jerky is one of the best foods to fly with if you keep kosher: it is solid, sealed, certified and filling, and it does not depend on a kosher meal order that may or may not show up. In a hotel with no kosher options, it does the same job. Here is how to pack it and what to know at security.
The kosher traveler's problem
- Airline kosher meals must be ordered ahead, and sometimes do not arrive.
- Airports have little certified food, and less at odd hours.
- Hotels in many cities have nothing kosher at all.
- Delays turn a two-hour trip into an eight-hour one.
Flying with jerky
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does it go through US airport security? | Yes. It is solid food, not a liquid, so the liquids rule does not apply |
| Carry-on or checked? | Carry-on, so it is with you when you need it |
| Can I bring it into another country? | It depends. Many countries restrict bringing in meat products. Check before you fly, and declare it where required |
| Will it smell? | Sealed, no. Opened biltong has a mild spice smell |
What to pack
- 1 oz minis, one per leg of the trip, plus two spares for delays.
- A 3 oz bag for a long-haul flight.
- For a hotel stay of several days: about 2 oz per person per day alongside fruit, crackers and whatever else you can find certified.
In the hotel
A sealed bag needs no minibar, no kitchen and no microwave. Keep opened bags resealed; hotel rooms can be humid or very dry, and either changes the texture within a day or two. Pair it with sealed crackers, fruit and certified drinks, and you have a meal without leaving the room.
Meat and dairy on the road
If your emergency food bag also has dairy snacks, like cheese crackers or milk chocolate, pack them separately so the choice is clear. Jerky is meat.
Business trips, family trips
For families, minis mean each child gets their own and nobody shares a half-open bag on the plane. For business travel, see our guide to kosher jerky on a work trip.
Our kosher beef jerky and biltong are certified Glatt Kosher. Certificates here.
Try it: Kosher Trip Snack Planner. Enter people, days and kind of trip; get how much to pack.
