Chocolate on board Emirates
Emirates celebrates World Chocolate Day by telling one of the most treasured elements of its in-flight dining experience. Every year, more than 64 million chocolates and around 26 million chocolate desserts are served on the airline's flights, designed to accompany travel in all cabin classes.
For passengers, chocolate is present at different times of the Emirates experience: in the premium lounges before departure, in the desserts served during the flight and in the chocolates offered on board. The airline loads around 750,000 kg of chocolates on its aircraft every year and uses more than 260,000 kg of chocolate ingredients for artisanal preparations.
The proposal changes according to the class of travel. In Economy Class, passengers can find desserts such as triple chocolate mousse cake with chocolate sauce and caramel curls. In Premium Economy, the offer becomes more sophisticated, with creations such as the chocolate and pistachio mousse cake with apricot cream.
In Business Class, Emirates offers more elaborate desserts, including chocolate entremets with cocoa icing, dark chocolate and golden raspberry, accompanied by a selection of premium chocolates. In First Class, the experience includes plated desserts and selected chocolates, rotating every four months to offer frequent flyers new offerings throughout the year.
The company works with international chocolatiers and high-quality producers, choosing suppliers also based on their focus on responsible sourcing and sustainable practices. Among the brands on board are Valrhona from France, Coco Jalila from the United Arab Emirates, Canonica and Neuhaus from Belgium.
The desserts are developed by Emirates' culinary team of 250 pastry chefs and bakers, who create over 120 different chocolate recipes throughout the year. The proposals are also designed according to the destinations: on Mediterranean-inspired routes, combinations with berries or stone fruit may appear, while for some Asian destinations there is room for ingredients such as yuzu, matcha or tropical fruit. In the Middle East, pistachio remains one of the most popular combinations.
The experience begins even before the flight in the Emirates First and Business Class lounges, where passengers can find chocolate desserts and sweets, including cakes, mousses and signature creations from specialist partners.
With an annual growth of around 5% in chocolate consumption, Emirates confirms how much this ingredient has become an integral part of the travel experience. From desserts in Economy to premium selection in First Class, chocolate accompanies passengers with different proposals in terms of taste, format and level of service.
