Emirates invests millions in plant-based meals

In light of World Vegan Day on 1 November, Emirates has responded to heightened demand for plant-based cuisine with a multimillion-dollar investment into new vegan choices onboard.

A curated menu of gourmet vegan dishes has been introduced into first and business class, while economy class menus have also welcomed a refreshed selection of plant-based produce.

Emirates has been serving vegan options onboard since the 1990’s. Initially, vegan requirements were 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, or across the Indian subcontinent where multiple faiths encourage a plant-based diet.

Vegan dishes are now rapidly gaining general popularity on US, Australian, some European and UK routes, with Emirates noting a sizeable increase in interest in vegan dishes over the last decade.

Routes showing recent increasing interest in vegan meals include Beirut, Cairo, and Taiwan. Currently, Emirates offers more than 180 plant-based recipes catering to vegan customers.

The airline has invested in developing a new vegan menu to rival acclaimed restaurants. The vegan menu in first and business class spent a year in development in Emirates Flight Catering, an expansive facility based at Dubai International airport, which is home to 11,000 employees and serves up to 225,000 meals daily.

The menu was the focus of multiple presentations and tastings, featuring contributions from diverse cuisine specialists like Chinese, Indian and Arabic speciality chefs, to create a wide range of flavours and textures. The tasting panels 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 and have been extremely well received by passengers worldwide.

Current passenger favourites include a creamy spinach and avocado mousseline, with marinated tofu, blanched snow peas, radish, asparagus, pomegranate seeds, courgette ribbon and sriracha oil, or the 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.

The vegan desserts are also deliciously decadent, featuring tempting choices such as a dark chocolate custard cake balanced by fresh, juicy strawberries, a zesty lemon tart lightly laced with coconut cream and a rich chocolate tofu cheesecake complemented by a sweet strawberry compote.

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, the world’s largest hydroponic vertical farm.

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