A kosher airline meal is an

airline meal An airline meal, airline food, or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by specialist airline catering services and normally served to passengers using an airline service trolley ...

that conforms to the standards of kashrut. Many

airline An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...

s offer the option of kosher meals to passengers if ordered in advance. These not only contain food that is kosher, but also other features to aid observant Jews, such as copies of '' Tefilat HaDerech'' (the Traveler's Prayer) and prayers that are recited before and after eating and bread on which the

mezonot Listed below are some Hebrew prayers and blessings that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. Most prayers and blessings can be found in the Siddur, or prayer book. This article addresses Jewish liturgical blessings, which generally ...

blessing is recited, thereby enabling observant Jews to consume the bread without washing hands. "Kosher" is one of several options for special meals offered to air travelers. Similarly styled meals that are packaged in double wrapping with verifiable kashrut certification are offered in a variety of other settings, such as

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as ...

s, hospitals, or catered events. The double wrapping allows for the meals to be heated in a non-kosher oven. On airlines, kosher meals are the most commonly requested special meal. Kosher meals have become popular even among non-Jewish passengers who perceive kosher foods to be cleaner and healthier. As they cost approximately twice as much as standard meals, airlines may charge more for them.

History

Turkish Airlines Economy Kosher Meal TK791

Kosher airline meals started appearing as an option in the 1960s for Orthodox Jewish travelers.

Issues

Cost

Cathay Pacific Economy Kosher Meal CX391 (20130613142910)

Kosher meals cost the airline nearly twice as much as standard meals, even as they are offered at no additional cost to the traveler. ''

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' mag ...

'' has reported that kosher airline meals are the most expensive type of airline meal served.

Kashrut issues

Sometimes, dairy and meat foods are mixed by airline employees unaware of the kashrut guideline prohibiting such mixtures, or dairy is served too soon after a meat meal. On

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

, meals containing chametz (bread which has leavened beyond 18 minutes) are sometimes served by mistake.

References

External links