Ahead of World Vegan Day on 1 November, Emirates has announced that it is meeting the increased demand for plant-based cuisine with a multimillion-dollar investment into new vegan choices onboard.
Those flying on Emirates will be able to enjoy a curated menu of gourmet vegan dishes on First and Business Class, while those in Economy Class will also be able to enjoy a refreshed menu of plant-based produce.
This move by Emirates caters to cosmopolitan customers following a vegan lifestyle, or for those who seek a lighter meal choice while travelling.
Vegan options are available to order and pre-order onboard, as well as in Emirates Lounges.
Emirates Meets Increasing Demand for Vegan Cuisine
Emirates has been serving vegan options onboard since the 1990’s. These were initiatially focused on specific routes such as Addis Ababa where vegan meals are required during certain times of the year by those practising the Ethiopian Orthodox faith.
However, Emirates has noted a sizeable increase in interest in vegan dishes over the last decade. Routes where there has been an increased interest in vegan meals include Beirut, Cairo, and Taiwan.
At the moment, there are more than 180 plant-based recipes catering to vegan customers on Emirates.
Menu Development
To meet this increase in demand, Emirates has been invest into developing a new vegan menu.
The vegan menu for First and Business Class was under development in Emirates Flight Catering, an expansive facility based at Dubai International airport, for a year. The menu features contributions from specialists like Chinese, Indian and Arabic speciality chefs and went through tasting panels that included both vegan and non-vegan chefs and team-members to ensure an inclusive approach.
In Economy Class, the vegan menus are also refreshed every month, providing a wide variety of dishes to frequent travellers. The vegan meals in Economy Class are available to pre-order. These include favourites like creamy spinach and avocado mousseline, with marinated tofu, blanched snow peas, radish, asparagus, pomegranate seeds, courgette ribbon and sriracha oil, and multicoloured quinoa with succulent caramelised pear and celeriac purée, roasted cauliflower, glazed carrots, sautéed kale and lovage pesto, and the hearty Autumnal flavours of barley risotto with mushrooms, served with sundried tomatoes, buttered chestnuts, blanched broccolini and toasted pumpkin seeds.
High Quality Healthy Ingredients
These plant-powered choices have also attracted the interest of health-conscious customers who are not necessarily vegan but wish for a lighter option.
The Emirates team of award-winning chefs have put together a creative new menu, where vegetables take centre stage and the absence of meat isn’t felt, through clever use of textures and infusions to conjure the essential umami effect.
Vegan Options on Emirates
Vegan options onboard Emirates are nutrient-dense and rich in greens, fruits, and vegetables, sourced from several UAE-based suppliers including fresh locally grown kale, heirloom cherry tomatoes, salad leafs and herbs from Bustanica.
Get more information here.
