Exploring a new country no longer means only visiting museums and historical landmarks. For a growing number of travelers, tasting traditional cuisine has become just as essential a part of the journey as sightseeing. What many people don’t realize is that the culinary experience can actually begin before the plane even lands, thanks to national carriers that stock their menus with authentic dishes from their home countries. According to Euronews, there are several airlines around the world that go well beyond the usual chicken sandwich or vegetable pasta to genuinely impress their passengers.
Finnair is one of the more surprising names on this list, especially considering that Nordic countries were not historically known as food destinations. That reputation has changed considerably in recent years, and the Finnish carrier’s menu reflects this shift beautifully. Business class passengers on the Helsinki to Doha route, for example, can enjoy dishes like orange and anise-marinated gravlax, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, and a curated selection of Finnish cheeses. The drink menu also leans local, featuring specialties like arctic raspberry dessert wine alongside a variety of cocktails.
Malaysia Airlines is another carrier that takes its culinary identity seriously, and for good reason since Malaysia is perhaps best known internationally for satay. Business class passengers can order chicken, beef, or mushroom skewers served with peanut sauce, while those in economy on international routes get access to classic dishes like ikan percik nasi beringin, a South Malaysian-style rice served with fish in a spicy coconut sauce, or shrimp and chicken sambal. In 2026, the airline also launched a new domestic menu called “Best of Malaysia” on flights from Sabah and Sarawak to Kuala Lumpur, rotating the regional focus monthly. February’s spotlight was on Perak, featuring nasi vanggey with chicken curry, a beloved dish from the city of Ipoh.
EVA Air, Taiwan’s national carrier, has taken an especially creative approach to in-flight dining by partnering with Din Tai Fung, the globally celebrated restaurant chain founded in 1958. Passengers who want to avoid the notoriously long lines at Din Tai Fung locations on the ground can enjoy the restaurant’s signature dishes on select flights departing Taipei for destinations including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Bangkok. The rotating menu includes juicy pork dumplings, spicy shrimp and pork wontons, and beef noodle soup. It’s a clever collaboration that turns a long-haul flight into something worth looking forward to.
Korean Air leans into the global wave of Korean cultural influence, known as Hallyu, by centering its culinary identity around bibimbap, a mixed rice dish available to passengers in all cabin classes with options including beef, salmon, or stir-fried octopus and pork. Business class passengers enjoy an elevated experience thanks to a collaboration with chef Seakyeong Kim, owner of restaurant Cesta in Seoul. The premium menu highlights dishes like rice with octopus, braised abalone, and sinseollo, a traditional Korean hot pot with deep historical roots. LATAM Airlines, whose main hub is in Santiago, Chile, brings South American warmth to its menus with grilled salmon accompanied by native Chiloé island potatoes in a creamy white wine sauce in economy, and chef Carmen Aguayo’s pastel de choclo, a traditional Chilean meat and corn pie, in premium. Chilean Reserva wines and freshly ground South American coffee round out the experience.
Airline catering is a massive and complex industry in its own right. A single long-haul flight can require hundreds of individual meals prepared in specialized catering facilities at airports, often by third-party companies that serve dozens of airlines at once. Food must be designed to taste good despite the fact that cabin pressure and dry air at cruising altitude dull the senses of taste and smell, which is why airlines often use stronger seasonings and umami-rich ingredients. National carriers, in particular, have long used their in-flight menus as a soft diplomacy tool, showcasing their country’s cuisine to international travelers as part of a broader cultural identity. The Michelin Guide has even begun evaluating airline meals in some markets, reflecting just how seriously the culinary world now takes the sky-high dining experience.
If you have had a memorable meal on a flight, or if one of these airlines has caught your attention, share your thoughts in the comments.
