Emirates fliers can now relish over 180 plant-based recipes that will be available on board

November 12th, 2022

With a surge in veganism as a lifestyle choice, airlines must accommodate the rising demand for vegan and plant-based options. Longer flights offer a broad variety of dietary options, known as special menus, which are available to order before travelling, although many short-haul flights offer "buy onboard" options (with very few vegetarian and vegan options). This is especially true for international travel, as before making a reservation, vegan and vegetarian travellers must confirm that they will be able to order vegetarian and vegan-friendly meals. Then there were those who had to carry vegan or vegetarian snacks for the flight. Even though a majority of meals are transportable through security checkpoints, as are sauces and salad dressings as long as they adhere to TSA liquid regulations; the hassle was quite inconvenient.

There are also limitations on what you can carry into certain contries when travelling there and back, so vegans had be sure to read this information to avoid problems. Or such was the norm before. However, things are now changing as more and more flights offer vegan food. After Air India, now Emirates has disclosed an expenditure of several million dollars on their vegan menu.

Vegan meals for economy passengers

The fourth-largest airline in the world, which is located in Dubai, will provide its First and Business class guests with a specially curated menu of upscale vegan cuisine. Also available will be a redesigned menu of plant-based meals for economy passengers. Emirates has long been regarded as a top choice for vegan tourists.

In the 1990s, the airline started serving plant-based meals on a few flights. Since then, it has embraced the expanding market for beef alternatives. There are now over 180 plant-based recipes available on board.

Specifics of their new vegan menu

The new First and Business class menus have reportedly been in the works for years. Chefs from Emirates Flight Catering, a facility in Dubai, created the cuisine. Every month, the Economy class menu is changed to include items like colourful quinoa with delectable caramelised pear and celeriac purée, roasted cauliflower, glazed carrots, sautéed kale, and lovage pesto, and barley risotto with mushrooms served with sundried tomatoes, buttered chestnuts, blanched broccolini, and toasted
pumpkin seeds.

World Vegan Day, which is observed on November 1, coincided with Emirates' introduction of their new plant-based cuisine. The new vegan and vegetarian menu at Emirates is more extensive than ever. The dishes include a variety of veggies in main course as well as desserts.

Surge in veganism

In the majority of the world's nations just a few decades ago, veganism was a rather specialised lifestyle. But its popularity has increased dramatically in recent years. 639,00 people from all over the world participated in Veganuary in January 2022. This increased from 400,000 the previous year. Statistics show that approximately 6% of Americans identify as vegans. There are about 9.7 million vegans in the United States.

Furthermore, a sizable portion of the population, who identify as "flexitarians," avoids animal products primarily but not completely. It is generally acknowledged that more than half of American youth are flexitarians.