If you keep kosher and are traveling through Asia, then I have got two words for you: good luck. Unless you are on a catered tour, you will have challenges galore. That certainly does not mean that you should avoid traveling in Asia. It is a truly wonderful destination filled with fascinating countries, entertaining cities, breathtaking sights, riveting history and remarkable people, all worthy of your time and effort. But if you hunger for experiences in Asia, then be prepared to hunger for a kosher meal too.
Part of the problem is the numbers game. While the people in Asia tend to be extremely gracious and hospitable, most do not keep kosher so, practically speaking, maintaining a large supply of kosher products in the local night markets, fish markets and supermarkets makes little sense. In fact, the numbers do not even justify maintaining a negligible supply of kosher products. Thus, on your travels in Asia you will be hard-pressed to find gefilte in Guangzhou, schnitzel in Shanghai, babka in Beijing, kugel in Kyoto, chopped liver in Chiang Mai, bialys in Bangkok or tzimmes in Singapore.
Another problem is the language barrier. For example, in a typical Asian supermarket many of the products are Asian brands with Asian labels or wrappers. If you cannot read the ingredients, find a hashgacha (kosher certification symbol) or ask for assistance, then you must assume that the item is not kosher. Even if you are fluent in the local language, it might be difficult to explain the kosher concept because let’s face it, trying to explain the laws of kashrut in English is hard enough as it is. It invariably evokes exchanges like this:
Vendor: “So let me get this straight. You can eat only certain cuts of meat from only certain types of animals but only if they are killed and prepared in a certain way under certain circumstances and certain supervision and then consumed only in combination with certain items???”
Customer: Well, when you put like that… now I’m confused!
When it comes to the language barrier, an additional issue is that certain words in the Jewish lexicon do not easily translate into other languages. For instance, try finding the Chinese word for cholent, the Vietnamese word for knish or the Korean word for rugelach. That said, Japanese and Hebrew do have a few words that sound the same, albeit with different meanings, e.g., Ima (now/mother), Isha (doctor/woman) and Sakana (fish/danger).
Another problem is that some Asians enjoy items that on their face clearly are not kosher. In those moments, it is fairly easy to get to the root of the kashrut question. For example, pork sprinkles, shrimp lollipops and crab juice clearly are not kosher. The same is true for prawn waffles, grasshopper stew and lard chips. (Yes, you actually can find some of these and other unusual delicacies in Asia.)
Even though kosher food in Asia is sparse, there are some exceptions. Certain parts of Asia feature an impressive network of Chabad Houses, typically in the larger, more touristy cities. Many of these Chabad Houses have legitimate in-house restaurants that literally and figuratively cater to tourists both on Shabbat (typically under a pre-paid arrangement) and during the rest of the week. For example, in Bangkok, Thailand you will find a full-fledged restaurant at the Chabad House. (Note: Chabad + Thailand = Chai-land so sing “Life to life, La’Chai-land!”) Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hanoi have similar establishments. In all of these cases, the resident rabbis and their families are friendly and phenomenal, going to great lengths to keep their clientele satiated and happy. The menus may not be expansive but the offerings are solid and most hungry tourists will be more than satisfied. Just be prepared to make a minyan at any given moment, even if it means letting your entree get cold.
There also are Jewish community centers in places like Hong Kong that provide kosher meals. Some of the facilities also have synagogues and other essential Jewish amenities like mikvahs, social halls and kibitzing corners.
A few cities in Asia also feature free-standing, privately-owned non-Chabad/non-JCC restaurants. Such establishments can be found in Manila and Bangkok and they in large part cater to Israeli diners. In other words, if you are Hamantaschen-less in Hanoi, Shakshuka-less in Shanghai or falafel-less in the Philippines, there are places in Asia that will answer the call.
Final thought: Most kosher restaurants in Asia offer an ample selection of non-Asian dishes like burgers, schnitzel and matzah ball soup. They sometimes also offer indigenous cuisine but it would be more fun if they offered hybrid combinations like Sweet & Sour Gefilte Fish, Chopped Liver Dim Sum or Brisket Bahn Mi.
