Qatar Airways introduces national cuisines

Qatar Airways is bringing a menu of national flavours to passengers onboard its flights and in its lounges. Chef Aisha Al Tamimi, a well-known Qatari chef with a cookery show on Qatar Television, has worked with the airline to develop the new menus, featuring locally sourced organic ingredients and spices. She uses her own spice blends for all the dishes, with signature ingredients including cardamom, black pepper, salt, cumin, black lime, paprika and red chilli peppers.

In partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Culture and taking inspiration from local cuisines, Chef Aisha’s dishes will be available for passengers travelling on various routes including North America, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The new menu features some of Qatar’s best-known national dishes. The entrees, main courses and desserts include:

Qatari Chicken Machboos – A marinated chicken basmati rice dish, served alongside a daqoos red chilli sauce filled with the region’s aromatic spices. The dish is garnished with crispy onions and chopped parsley.
Qatari Madrubah – A slow-cooked dish that consists of ground oats with boneless shredded chicken. The Qatari seasoning includes dried lemon and natural green herbs.
Qatari Mashkool – A basmati rice dish consisting of fried chicken, eggplant and potatoes, mixed with coconut milk. The dish is garnished with a layer of almonds and crispy onions.
Qatari Chicken Jareesh – A chopped chicken dish that is cooked with wheat, onions and Arabic gee, garnished with crispy onion and green chilli pepper salsa.
Qatari style breakfast platter – A variety of local dishes including saffron and cardamom, flavoured balaleet vermicelli, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and traditional beans with onion and garlic. The platter is served alongside a basket of Arabic bread.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said of the menus: “Food is a universal language that is appreciated by all travellers, and our country is admired for the aromatic flavours of its national dishes. Today, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, we are proud to bring a world-class Qatari Chef to our airline family. The new onboard meals will further elevate the travel experience, and bring passengers one step closer to what it’s like to dine in Qatar.”

Passengers with specific dietary requirements or restrictions can request special meals in advance of their flight, which the airline says do not sacrifice quality or flavour. The airline has created meals for every dietary need, including vegan and vegetarian, religious needs, medical needs and children’s meals.