The World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways, now serves popular African foods. The airline is committed to sourcing ingredients from local suppliers. African people are rightly proud of their traditional cuisine and most have a dish that resonates with both their taste buds and childhood memories.

So, it’s gratifying that some of the continent’s most iconic and cherished dishes are now being served onboard the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways, as voted by Skytrax in 2024. Early next year, Qatar Airways will celebrate 20 years of flying into South Africa. During that time, the airline will create a celebratory menu that reflects the uniqueness of the cuisine of the nation and destination.

Right now, passengers on Qatar Airways’ Lagos-Doha route can savour west Africa’s beloved jollof rice, and slow-cooked beef on a bed of cassava. To the south, travellers on the Cape Town-Doha, Johannesburg-Doha, and Durban-Maputo-Doha routes, can expect food that most homesick South Africans worldwide yearn for: braised lamb potjie (stew traditionally cooked in a threelegged cast-iron pot), the classic Durban “bunny” or bunny-chow (half a loaf of bread filled with chicken curry), as well as bobotie (baked, curried mincemeat topped with savoury egg custard), served with raisin rice.

Qatar Airways’ catering team has also reimagined basic traditional dishes, offering enticing new twists, like biltong (dry-cured meat) beef soup. While many of these traditional dishes boast a hearty, comforting quality, they are enhanced by fresh and vibrant accompaniments; for example, the slow-cooked beef is paired with zesty pickled cucumber. Sensitivity: Internal As with all the food and beverages the airline serves, these dishes are prepared with one crucial consideration in mind; they must taste the same when served in a pressurised cabin, 40 000ft in the sky, as they would in a restaurant on the ground.

This is because the air inside an aircraft is drier than what people are accustomed to on the ground, and that can make their taste buds less sensitive, thus affecting the flavour of food and drinks. This applies equally to subtle and robust flavours; making airline food preparation part science, part art.

Traditional South African potjiekos rice is one of the beloved African cuisines now served aboard Qatar Airway. Credit: Vecteezy.

Accommodating this phenomenon is an essential factor and a very vital component of chefs’ training. The airline aims to source local ingredients, wherever possible, at destinations it operates to, and refreshes its menus with new dishes every three months, bolstering its support for local suppliers and farmers.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President of Product Development, Xia Cai, said: “Uncompromising commitment to our catering offering is a major factor in the airline being named the World’s Best. It’s also why we’re committed to showcasing regional African specialities with unique flavours and ingredients. We work very closely with local chefs when developing these menus, and respect the heritage of each region’s culinary tradition. In this case, it’s a way to remind African travellers of home and introduce visitors to the continent’s culinary bounty.”

She added that the airline’s aim is to provide a platform to promote the wonderful African flavours to the world in a way that remains not only true to the origins of each meal but also in a manner that is innovative and modern.

“When we recently interviewed young chefs from South Africa’s Capsicum Culinary Studio to join our retail, culinary and hospitality facilities, a common sentiment was how many felt that their national cuisine should be more widely known globally. Many of these talented young chefs regard doing that as a major career goal,” said Cai. This acknowledgement also extends to supporting South Africa’s world-class wines.

The fivestar airline works closely with sommeliers to ensure that it provides wines that showcase South Africa’s world-leading wineries and winemakers. “Qatar Airways’ determination in working with local suppliers also includes sourcing sustainable, seasonal products to maintain the highest quality and freshness. Moreover, our commitment to culinary excellence also aligns with Qatar’s globally acclaimed food tradition and culinary scene, which showcases not only the diverse, robust and enticing flavours of the Gulf region, but also other cuisine from the furthest stretches of the globe.” Cai concluded.

Saturday Star