Contemporary kosher
This is a special feature from PAX International's 2022 IFSA EXPO Long Beach edition, on page 16.
Great effort has gone into designing attractive packaging at Kosher Arabia
The Emirates flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv averages a little more than three hours. In that time, one of the airline’s suppliers has a mission to make the dining experience compliant with religious requirements and offer a fresh perspective on centuries-long traditions.
Kosher Arabia is the sole supplier of kosher meals out of DXB (Dubai International Airport), but the joint venture company with Emirates Flight Catering is looking beyond its home base with a goal to make the United Arab Emirates an exporter of kosher meals for airline catering and other food service venues.
And the products moving out of the company’s plant and onto the aircraft bear little resemblance to kosher meals that airlines have served for years. When a passenger opts for a kosher meal (which they do at a rate of approximately 10 percent on the DXB — TLV Ben Gurion Airport route) they will receive a product packaged for presentation and prepared in strict compliance.
“As a generalization, kosher dining focuses on tradition – our aim is to evolve current airline meals to include new concepts and offerings to delight kosher customers, without compromising on traditional aspects,” says David Johnson, Business Development Manager at Kosher Arabia. “We are thinking differently and pushing the envelope.”
The obvious difference from kosher meals of the past is in the presentation of the product. In the past, kosher meals were served bound tightly in layers of plastic wrap and foil to avoid the possibility of contamination. Kosher Arabia has thrown out the practice and sought to make its products a feast to the eyes with colorful packaging and presentation that fits in Atlas trolleys in full, half and two-thirds sizes. The meal trays accommodate double-wrapped and sealed hot items to be removed and heated by the crew before serving while ensuring kosher integrity.
Compliance is still a top priority and the company’s food products are dual certified by the Orthodox Union (OU) which continues to work in partnership with the South African Union of Orthodox Synagogues (UOS) to provide the highest level of excellence in kosher certification.
Kosher Arabia supplies to both Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central Airport through Emirates Flight Catering, so any airlines ordering kosher food will receive the company’s products.
“Additionally, we are talking to both airlines and airline caterers around the world interested in taking our delicious frozen range,” says Johnson.
Like food producers everywhere these days, Kosher Arabia is eyeing trends.
“We are seriously looking into alternative plant-based proteins which is an exciting and evolving area,” says Johnson. “Kosher cuisine is changing and needs to change, to appeal to a younger generation who place more focus on food security and are more health conscious than earlier generations. The world is evolving and kosher food needs to evolve at the same pace.”
The company is still relying heavily on imports like much of the UAE. However, the farm-to-table concept is slowly taking shape. Homegrown products can be found around the corner from Bustanica, the world’s largest vertical farm built by Emirates Flight Catering in a joint venture with Crop One Holdings, Inc.
Kosher Arabia Top Five Popular Products
Chilean Sea Bass
Smoked Salmon
Moroccan Beef
Lamb
Chocolate Brownie, which is “totally delicious,” says Johnson
