From grilled chicken to Irio, Emirates to serve local dishes

Global airline Emirates has moved to cement its position as a key player in the East African market by introducing new menus in all classes for passengers plying the regional route to Dubai.

Passengers travelling from Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa will have the luxury of ordering their favourite local meals on the Emirates onboard menu.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on October 25, Emirates says that the move is geared towards ensuring that passengers have the best experience onboard Emirates planes.

“Customers travelling from East Africa will be pleased to find traditional African dishes. Kenyan passengers will also now have their favourite meals including nyama and irio served with grilled carrot incorporated in their in-flight menu when flying Emirates to Dubai,” read the statement.

Passengers travelling to Dubai from Nairobi will also be spoilt for choice when picking from a wide range of meals including grilled chicken, fried plantain and tomato coriander sauce, as a local dish option.

Emirates has also moved to woo Tanzanian passengers with the introduction of Kuku Paka, a chicken dish with coconut-based curry served with butter rice and seasonal vegetables, one of the most popular meals in Dar es Salaam.

Spicy beef and lentil stew served with steamed rice will also be served onboard en-route to Dubai from Addis Ababa.

The recently launched new menus in each cabin include at least one dish that is influenced by local cuisine. This is in addition to a selection of international cuisine that caters other taste preferences.

“We aim to deliver the best culinary experience in the sky and we are as well conscious that our products reflect our cosmopolitan customers. Our menus are also tailored to suit local and diverse taste profiles. For that reason we listen to feedback from our customers, keep a close watch on the latest food trends,” said Nasser Iskeirjah, Regional Catering Manager, Africa.

Emirates’ focus on local flavour means it has food available from every region it flies to. The airline serves more than 100 million meals a year in First, Business and Economy class.

The airline says that it has catered to over 1 million customers from Nairobi, Dar Es Salam and Addis Ababa, on both routes from 2017 – 2018.

The introduction of local meals comes one month after the airline launched food and wine TV channels to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at how it creates on-board menus.

“We rotate our menus throughout the year, so our customers can get to experience a different dish every time they fly with us,” added Mr. Nasser.

The airline adds that it will also be placing special emphasis on stew and fried plantains after their research showed the popularity of the two meals with East Africans.