Emirates is responding to the rising global demand for vegan options by expanding its culinary offerings for plant-based eaters. As more customers, including non-vegan passengers, opt for vegan meals for their lighter and easier-to-digest qualities, Emirates has been working to innovate and refine its vegan menu.
The airline is introducing exciting new dishes made from groundbreaking ingredients like a solid egg substitute made entirely from legumes, alongside specially curated vegan meals for children and a wider variety of dishes available both onboard and in Emirates’ lounges.
Embracing Veganuary with New Culinary Creations
To mark Veganuary, a global initiative that encourages people to try a vegan diet, Emirates held a special workshop at its Flight Catering Concept Development Kitchen. The workshop brought together Emirates’ top chefs to experiment with new ingredients and dishes. Among the innovations tested was a new egg substitute used in a spicy shakshuka sauce, as well as a vegan cannelloni made from a premade vegan pastry sheet. The chefs also refined popular ingredients and meals already onboard to enhance their plant-based offerings.
Emirates now offers more than 300 vegan recipes served on flights to 140 destinations worldwide. These dishes feature premium plant-based products from renowned global suppliers, including:
- Beyond Meat (California) for plant-based proteins
- Arlene (UAE/Singapore) for soybean protein
- Qian Ye (Japan) for authentic pressed tofu
- Linnolat (France) for organic dark vegan chocolate
- Meister Marken (Germany) for vegan margarine
- Pantai (Thailand) for vegan curry paste
- Koita (Italy) for almond milk
Additionally, the airline promotes sustainability by sourcing fresh produce from Bustanica, the world’s largest hydroponic vertical farm, which is a joint venture with Emirates Flight Catering. The farm supplies pesticide-free leafy greens, including lettuce, arugula, and spinach, directly to Emirates catering facilities. Emirates has also introduced individual vegan milk servings on flights in Economy and Premium Economy Class, catering to over 30,000 customers each month who choose this option for their coffee and tea.
Vegan Meals for Children
As part of its commitment to catering to all customers, Emirates has also expanded its vegan offerings for children. Kids can now enjoy delicious plant-based meals like vegan pizza, sweet and sour vegetable casserole, vegetable fajitas, vegan muffins, cauliflower bites with sweet sauce, and desserts such as strawberry crumble and vegan chocolate pudding.
Vegan options are available to pre-order onboard and at Emirates lounges, with customers able to request meals up to 24 hours before departure. In high-demand regions, plant-based meals are also included in the main menu offerings.
Vegan Cuisine Across All Classes
Emirates serves over 400,000 plant-based meals annually across all cabin classes. As demand for vegan meals grows, Emirates has seen an increase in vegan meal consumption that exceeds passenger volume growth in regions like Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Many of the airline’s Cabin Crew members also follow a plant-based diet, and the airline has been offering vegan meals for its crew for the past nine years.
In Economy Class
Economy class passengers can enjoy dishes like crêpes filled with sautéed carrots and peppers, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and tomato concassé. Other options include curried vegetable puffs, chocolate mousse cake, and blackberry crumble.
In Premium Economy Class
Premium Economy passengers are treated to dishes like braised mushrooms with vegetables in five-spice soy sauce, served with steamed jasmine rice and blanched pak choi. Desserts include chocolate tart with apricot compote and raspberry tonka mousse cake with berry coulis.
In Business Class
Business class offers elegantly crafted dishes like Thai red curry tofu with aubergine, beans, mushrooms, and taro in aromatic gravy, served with steamed jasmine rice. Dessert options include tropical coconut pineapple cake and chocolate pecan cake.
In First Class
First-class travelers can indulge in elevated vegan dishes such as creamy polenta cake with thyme mushroom ragout, sautéed spinach in root vegetable jus, and aubergine curry with charred rice and turmeric potato. Decadent desserts include rhubarb and strawberry charlotte with Chantilly cream or a warm chocolate fondant with salted caramel sauce and whipped cashew cream.
Emirates Lounges in Dubai: A Vegan Feast
Emirates’ Dubai International Airport lounges, located in Terminal 3, offer an extensive range of vegan options. The lounges provide everything from crispy soya and pea protein snacks to Baharat and turmeric spiced kofta in coconut gravy. In the First Class Lounge, guests can enjoy warm amaranth porridge with green apples, red grapes, and walnuts.
The most popular vegan dish in the lounges is the Emirates Green Burger, made from soya and flaxseed, with a signature sauce and pickled cucumbers.
Conclusion
Emirates’ commitment to expanding its vegan offerings ensures that every passenger, regardless of dietary preference, has a wide array of plant-based meal options to choose from. Whether traveling in Economy or First Class, customers can enjoy high-quality, innovative vegan cuisine that showcases the airline’s dedication to sustainability, culinary excellence, and meeting the diverse needs of its global clientele.
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