Travellers' Guide for Kosher Food in European Countries (with no kosher facilities)

Important remark: This Information Guide is only for users of non-supervised kosher milk (Chalav Stam) and non-supervised bread (Non Pat Israel).

Bread:

One should refrain from using packed bread from supermarkets which mostly contains a non-kosher emulsifier E-471 in order to keep the freshness of the bread. Some of the bread should be checked from dairy ingredients (dairy - bread is not permitted). The bread called "Bauern Brot" is generally free of non-kosher ingredients. Some allow the use of: Wasser Br&#246tchen (= morning-rolls) provided that they do not contain non-kosher emulsifiers. In France you can get the famous baguette-bread which is known as kosher. In Great-Britain they usually use animal fat for greasing the trays. Therefore the bread is generally not kosher. In Italy the use of an animal fat called "Strutto" is very common, the bread in Italy is therefore, forbidden. One can use crackers from the companies VASA and RYVITA or similar, when without dairy ingredients. Rusks should be checked as bread.

Cereals:

Cereals that don't contain any dairy ingredients (should be checked on the ingredients) are kosher lemehadrin and parve.

Milk and Milk Products:

In most European countries no "Cholov Yisroel" or its derivatives are available. Those who care should take with them from Israel long-life milk and hard cheese. The following advises are meant for those who use non-Jewish milk (trefa-milk does not exist today!). Even those who use non-Jewish butter in general, should refrain from using light butter, since it is not kosher. Some use non-Jewish cream, others do not. Coffee cream is less problematic than non-Jewish milk. Yoghurt without fruit is allowed. Non-Jewish hard cheese (such as Gouda, Emmentaler etc.) is forbidden, but soft cheese (as Philadelphia) and cottage cheese are not considered as cheese in this respect and are permitted.

Vegetables and fruits:

In generally vegetables and fruits are allowed, but one should pay attention to Israeli fruits and vegetables (Terumah, Maasser). Dried fruits are sometimes coated with animal fat. Frozen vegetables are permitted.

Spreads:

Margarine is generally non-kosher. One may use Mayonnaise and Ketchup only if they do not contain non-Kosher ingredients (see list in the kosher guide "Rabbi, ist das Koscher"). Jams and confitures are allowed, likewise pure honey. Chocolate spread is usually dairy.

Canned Vegetables:

One can use canned peas and carrots, green beans and corn (such as Bounduelle products), the same applies to canned fruit and fruit cocktail in sugar syrup. Some Rabbis authorize potato chips in paper bags, provided that they do not contain any additives beside vegetable fat - from Pringles> only the original is kosher!).

Canned Fish:

Most of the sardines are allowed, especially those from Portugal and Morocco, provided they are in pure vegetable oil or in tomato sauce. Some rabbis allow canned tuna fish from major companies, as forgery is unlikely there, while others forbid them. Some allow also sliced smoked salmon (Lachs) and trout, others not. Salted and marinated herrings (not with wine-vinegar) are allowed. One can have grilled fish provided it is well wrapped in aluminium foil and a Jewish person puts it on the grill.

Sweets:

Fruit candies and drops (without filling) may be used. Milk and bitter chocolate, also with nuts and almonds, are kosher-dairy. Some allow Danish butter cookies in metal boxes. Most of Bahlsen`s cakes & cookies are Kosher (many are dairy). Chewing gum is generally non-kosher, but Orbit-Wrigley`s products are kosher-certified. Ice cream is problematic, since it contains gelatine and non-kosher emulsifiers (see list in the kosher guide "Rabbi, ist das Koscher"). Ice fruit lollipops - except grapes - are kosher. Snacks like Mars, Milky-way, Kit-Kat, Snickers (also ice-cream) are kosher-dairy.

Soft Drinks:

Coffee, cocoa and tea - preferably in paper or glass cups - are allowed. Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes, also their diet or light sorts are allowed. One should refrain from Cola Light-Lemon as it contains non-kosher tartaric acid. Mineral water, fruit and vegetable juices - except grape juice - are allowed.

Wine and Spirits:

Wine, cognac and brandy must bear a Kosher label, otherwise they are forbidden. All kinds of beer, Whisky, Wodka, Arrak, Slibovitz, Kirschwasser are allowed. Of the liquors Eckes Edelkirsch, Peter Herring, Drambuie and Cointreau are permitted (see also list of drinks, in the guide). Irish Cream and Mozart-Liqueur are kosher and dairy.

Sweeteners:

Most tablets contain tartaric acid and /or lactose (dairy), some Rabbis allow theirs use, others not, better to use one with Hechsher.

Non-Jewish Hotels and hostels:

One can take at breakfast tea or coffee, in preference out of a glass or a paper-cup as they usually serve there also meat and cheese. Some rabbis allow to eat soft boiled eggs as they are cooked with steam in a special machine. One can use bread and rolls as listed above with butter, jam or honey. The same applies also to sardines and herring. One can use yoghurt, soft & cottage cheese. It is advisable to use plastic cutlery. One can use for cold food the hotel's plates.

How to kosherize a non-kosher kitchen?

If one stays in a non-kosher house he can eat out of plastic cutlery and one-way-plates. One can also kosherize a pot or a pan by soaking them in hot-boiling water. One can also kosherize cutlery in the same way but not porcelain plates. In a case where a non-Jew cooks kosher food, a Jew must lit the flame or the oven and it is advisable also that a Jew shall put the pot on the stove or inside the oven. An oven and a stove can be kosherized by heating them to the maximal temperature for 20 minutes after a full cleaning process. One can heat kosher food in a microwave oven if it is wrapped in a paper or a plastic bag. At no time should kosher and non-kosher food be heated together. Metal pans cannot be kosherized. Glass-dishes do not require kosherization but it is advisable to soak them in boiling water.

Shabbath Cooking:

It is not allowed to cook or to heat any food on Saturday, the food must be cooked previously on Friday and then put on a warming plate to keep it hot. Food cooked on Saturday (even by a non-Jew), is forbidden even if its ingredients are all kosher.

Vegetarian Restaurants:

It is not permitted to eat in a vegetarian restaurant because it is not allowed to eat food cooked by non-Jews and also because some of the ingredients might not be kosher such as cheese, wine, vinegar etc...

Vegetarian Shops - (Reformhaus):

In Germany these shops are very popular and one can find there many products that can be used. Nevertheless one should check the ingredients' list. Winevinegar is not permitted, spices as paprika and black pepper are permitted.

The following ingredients are not allowed:

Gelatine, mono and di-glyceride Emulsifiers, Animal fat, Stearic acid.

Please note that: Lactose, milk protein, sodium caseinate and whey powder are dairy products.