Have bagel, will travel.

December 6, 2010 6:26 PM

Friend in India has a craving for a good New York bagel + cream cheese. What's the best way to bring them over from the US in carry-on or check-in luggage to maintain freshness?

With TSA requirements, a small container of cream cheese shouldn't be a problem, but getting a fresh bagel over (before getting stale) is.

Travel is from JFK through Doha, Qatar and then to Mumbai.

posted by steve.wdc to travel & transportation (10 answers total)

You can ship things on dry ice through the mail in the US, but I don't know about international travel. I think that would be the best way to transport the bagel to preserve freshness.
posted by zippy at 6:28 PM on December 6, 2010

Following up:

Q. May I bring dry ice in my carry-on? What about my checked bags?

The FAA has strict regulations (PDF) about the transportation of dry ice on airplanes. Passengers may bring 2 kilograms in carry-on luggage or 2.3 kilograms in checked luggage as long as it's stored in a package that allows the venting of carbon dioxide gas. A DOT spokesperson suggests that travelers avoid packing dry ice in carry-on luggage, as individual TSA agents unfamiliar with DOT regulations may confiscate the substance.
posted by zippy at 6:31 PM on December 6, 2010

as a bagel maker, i honestly don't foresee dry ice helping a freshly made bagel. put it in a brown paper bag and just stash it in your carry on. fresh bagels last only 5-6 hours anyway.
posted by wocka wocka wocka at 6:39 PM on December 6, 2010

This will sound like bagel sacrilege but it worked with bagels from Bagel Hole in Brooklyn. Freeze the bagels and put them in the microwave wrapped in paper towels on defrost for maybe 30 seconds on each side. Microwaves vary so start with a low timer. I didn't believe it would work but it did. The crust still had a really nice snap and the interior didn't get weird or funky. Keeping them frozen might be an issue but it would be worth it.
posted by mokeydraws at 6:56 PM on December 6, 2010

When we go to Vancouver (300 miles away from us and until recently the closest source of good-aka Montreal style- bagels), we buy several dozen bagels and then freeze them so we can eat them at our leisure (which means they run out in a few weeks.) I'm guessing a NY bagel would freeze pretty well also.


The TSA says you have to check creamy cheeses/dips but they are inconsistent about enforcing that (hummus has flown in my carry on twice within the past month.)
posted by vespabelle at 8:49 PM on December 6, 2010

New York's H&H will deliver internationally.

(But they dont deliver bialys any more and now I dont know what to get my uncle for Christmas)
posted by shothotbot at 8:51 PM on December 6, 2010

I would vacuum-seal the bagels. But just a warning, restrictions on what you can carry through Qatar can be very strict. On all of my flights to India through the Middle East, my carry-ons have been X-rayed and searched, so I would be hesitant to bring the cream cheese. Powered or gelatin-like substances can be tricky.
posted by msk1985 at 8:54 PM on December 6, 2010

Do not bring the cream cheese. Worst food poisioning of my life. Bags yes, cream cheese no.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 10:32 AM on December 7, 2010

And by bags, I of course mean bagels.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 10:33 AM on December 7, 2010

It's about half the flying time, but I've often flown frozen bagels from Montreal to SF. (Once you've done that, though, you have to toast them.)
posted by tangerine at 7:02 PM on December 7, 2010