Self-catering at supermarkets abroad: what to buy

Supermarkets can feed you cheaply and give you control, if you know which aisles are plain and which hide ingredients. Whole foods are safe by nature. Anything processed needs a label check. This page maps the shop aisle by aisle so you do not have to read every pack.

Which aisles are reliable?

Plain, whole food has nothing to hide, so these aisles need only a quick look.

• Fresh fruit and vegetables: whole, uncut and unwrapped.
• Eggs: raw, in their box.
• Plain rice, oats and dried beans: with no seasoning sachet.
• Plain nuts and seeds: unflavoured, in sealed packs.
• Fresh milk: plain, with no added flavouring.
• Plain tofu and fresh whole fish: nothing added, nothing sauced.

These cover a simple breakfast and lunch even if your room has only a kettle or a small stove. For a room with a kitchen, our private-stay requirements builder helps you ask for the equipment you need.

Which aisles need ingredient checks?

These look harmless and are not.

• Sauces, seasonings and stock cubes: pork extract, lard, wine, and mirin hide here. JNTO warns about cooking sake and mirin in Japanese cooking, and that some miso contains alcohol unless labelled additive-free¹.
• Snacks and biscuits: lard, animal fat and flavour powders.
• Sweets, jelly, marshmallow and some yoghurt: gelatin is common here.
• Cheese: animal rennet, which the label rarely explains.
• Bread and pastry: lard, alcohol and mixed fillings.
• Frozen dumplings and ready meals: pork is usually the default filling.
• Canned fish and beans: the sauce, not the fish, is the question.

The Japan convenience store guide and the Korea and Taiwan convenience store guide go through the shelves of the smaller shops. For noodles, see instant noodles abroad.

Which counters should you avoid unless certified?

The meat counter, the deli and the ready-meal hot cabinet are the hardest to verify. A halal sign without a certificate is only a claim. If you cannot read a certificate and its expiry date, buy something else. See the five claim states for what a sign can mean.

How do you read a label in a language you cannot read?

Use this routine in the aisle.

• Take a photo of the ingredient list, flat and in good light.
• Run it through a translation app and scan for pork, lard, gelatin, alcohol, wine and animal rennet.
• Check the allergen box, which may name pork.
• Leave the item if the translation is unclear.

If you are shopping for a baby, read baby food and formula while travelling.

What about taking food across the border?

Buying food abroad is the easy part. Carrying it onward is where the risk sits. Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency notice tells travellers not to bring any meat-containing foods, other animal products, or meals provided on flights². Eat or bin meat items before the border.

Your next step

Write a short shopping list for your first night: breakfast, one sealed lunch and one simple dinner. Then see our halal food hub for the other checks.