Taking off on the wings of stellar Vietnamese cuisine

An in-flight meal with local culinary delights of Vietnam Airlines. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Vietnamese airlines have made a remarkable impression on passengers by offering a diverse range of regional delicacies from across the country.

The culinary delights include banh my (Vietnamese baguette), xoi khuc (Vietnamese sticky rice and cudweed balls), Moc Chau strawberries, and Son La plums, bringing the flavours of Vietnam to the skies.

Hikaru Nakamura, a passenger on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Japan, was pleasantly surprised by a dessert made from Son La plums. "This is the first time I have had a mousse cake made with fruit ingredients. The plum mousse tastes refreshingly tart, different from other mousse cakes I have tried, and its vibrant colour is so appealing. When I return to Vietnam, I'll look for these plums and share them with my friends," she said.

During the plum season, Vietnam Airlines serves its guests fresh fruits with salt, plum mousse cakes, and plum tea. The northern mountainous province of Son La currently houses over 12,300 hectares of plum plantations, producing nearly 90,000 tonnes annually, harvested from April to July.

The national flag carrier has launched a programme aiming to provide passengers with a variety of farm produce experiences while promoting agricultural products from across the country. This is part of the airline's sustainable development plan, contributing to the socio-economic growth of regions nationwide.

The programme has so far brought aboard Vietnamese fruit gems such as Moc Chau strawberries (Son La province), longan (Hung Yen), Luc Ngan lychee (Bac Giang), Cao Phong orange (Hoa Binh), and Xa Doai orange (Nghe An).

Apart from fruit delicacies, Vietnamese airlines have also incorporated iconic street foods into their in-flight menus. Vietjet Air now serves banh my, which is recognised by National Geographic as one of the top 11 street foods in the world.

Hoang Minh Giang, a Vietnamese expatriate from Australia, expressed her delight with Vietjet's "hot meal" menu, which offers high-quality ingredients and authentic flavours served fresh and hot.

"I have been away from Vietnam for many years, and I miss enjoying the family dishes when I return. Now, I can savour them even during my flight," she said./.