To celebrate World Vegan Day in November and cater to the growth of the global vegan community, Emirates Airlines has recently launched a multimillion-dollar project to offer a large selection of plant-based menus onboard.
To provide options for passengers following a vegan lifestyle or seeking a lighter meal choice while travelling, gourmet vegan dishes are now offered in first and business classes while the economy-class menus feature a choice of meat-free offerings.
The vegan project is a result of the year-long development by Emirates Flight Catering, the largest flight catering facility in the world and home to 11,000 employees including chefs from 69 countries. The plant-based menu, of more than 180 recipes currently, features contributions from diverse cuisine specialists and is approved by international tasting panels of vegan and non-vegan chefs.
The colourful and healthy meals, which do not contain any animal product or by‑product, emphasise the freshness of products and subtle vibrancy of taste. Through clever use of textures and concoctions of flavours, various vegetables and fruits take centre stage so the absence of meat is not necessarily felt.
Jackfruit, with its characteristic meat-like texture; kohlrabi, a Northern European cross between cabbage and a mild-tasting turnip; and cauliflower are used as the main feature in some of the dishes. Other core ingredients include tofu, premium mock meat products and varieties of nuts and legumes.
Also on offer in flight are dishes prepared with gluten-free chickpea flour, quinoa seeds, coconut-based dairy, artisan vegan chocolate and cheese.
Passengers on board Emirates first and business classes can expect to find offerings such as thyme-scented mushroom stew; jackfruit biryani; heirloom cherry tomato tofu with edamame and roasted sesame; grilled vegetable crêpes with spinach and tomato concassé; Mediterranean vegetable ravioli and tagine vegetables; fried tapioca-soy dumplings in a tangy sauce; coconut oat and chia breakfast pudding with mango and passion fruit compote; fresh Hass avocado timbale and mango salad; and kale and cranberry salad with grilled sweet potato.
Complementing the meat-free savoury dishes are plant-based desserts including quinoa cakes; lemon tart; chocolate tofu cheesecake; and caramel-baked rice with coconut cream.
The vegan meals in economy class are available for pre-order. The favourites are creamy spinach and avocado mousseline with blanched snow peas and sriracha oil; multicoloured quinoa with caramelised pear, celeriac purée, roasted cauliflower and lovage pesto; and barley risotto with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, buttered chestnuts and toasted pumpkin seeds.
For more information, visit emirates.com.
