Immersing yourself in a destination’s culture is no longer just about museums and heritage sites – nowadays, trying traditional dishes and drinks is just as important to travellers.
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Yet, your first encounter with local flavours is likely to happen well before you touch down in a destination, with airlines, particularly flag carriers, offering plates from their home countries across in-flight menus.
Forget your bog standard chicken sandwiches or vegetable pastas, these airlines are going all out to impress with their selections.
Nordic delicacies on Finnair
While the Nordic nations haven’t traditionally been recognised as foodie destinations, that has changed in recent years with the rise of New Nordic Cuisine.
You don’t have to book a table at the Michelin-starred Palace in Helsinki or Kaskis in Turku to try Finland’s gastronomic offering, though, as Finnair’s in-flight menu is meant to showcase the country’s delicacies.
The exact menu depends on the destination and the time of travel, but as an example, those flying from Helsinki to Doha in business class will start their trip with options including orange and anise seasoned gravlax, a cured salmon dish, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, followed by Finnish cheeses including aura blue and Herkkujuustola stout vilho.
The drinks list also includes a selection of local options, such as Ainoa Valokki, a cloudberry dessert wine, and spirits from Kyrö Distillery Company. Finnair’s signature cocktail, Northern Blush, features gin, orange peel and bitters, and, of course, lingonberries.
Freshly grilled satay skewers on Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia is perhaps best known for its satay, and up front in business class guests can order chicken, beef or lion’s mane mushroom skewers served with peanut sauce.
Economy class customers flying internationally can also try classic dishes like ikan percik nasi beringin, a south Malaysian-style rice served with fish in a spicy coconut sauce, as well as prawn sambal or chicken rendang paired with Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak.
For 2026, Malaysia Airlines has introduced a new Best of Malaysia menu on domestic flights from Sabah and Sarawak to Kuala Lumpur. The focus will change each month, with February’s menu coming from Perak, with dishes including nasi vanggey with ayam berempah, a popular dish from Ipoh with chicken in a curry gravy.
Taiwan’s famed Din Tai Fung on EVA Air
Aside from bubble tea, Taiwan’s biggest cultural export might just be Din Tai Fung.
Founded in 1958, the restaurant chain now has branches all over the world in countries such as the UK, the US, Canada and the UAE as well as much of south east Asia.
You don’t have to join the huge queues to get your fix of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) as Taiwan’s flag carrier EVA Air has partnered with the brand to offer Din Tai Fung dishes on certain flights from Taipei to destinations including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and Bangkok.
Options include juicy pork dumplings, spicy shrimp and pork wontons and braised beef noodle soup, although the menu rotates constantly.
Bibimbap on Korean Air
Hallyu, or the Korean wave, has seen K-culture take the world by storm in recent years.
Outside of the world of film and TV, where KPop Demon Hunters and various K-dramas dominate most-watched lists, Korean food is also hitting the big time.
For Korean Air, the dish that best represents its home country is bibimbap, and flyers in all cabin classes can order the rice dish with traditional beef, salmon, or stir-fried octopus and pork.
In business or first class, travellers can experience fine dining-inspired dishes created in collaboration with chef Seakyeong Kim, the owner of Cesta restaurant in Seoul.
Signature dishes onboard include octopus rice, steamed abalone, and sinseollo, a Korean hot pot.
South American sips on LATAM
While LATAM serves destinations across Latin America (the clue is in the name…), its home base is in Santiago, Chile, and flights from there shine a spotlight on the nation’s culinary offering.
Those flying to Madrid in economy class can dig into grilled salmon with native potatoes from Chiloé in a creamy white wine sauce, while premium class options include a traditional Chilean pastel de choclo, a meat and corn pie, from chef Carmen Aguayo.
On the drinks front, there are Chilean Reserva wines as well as freshly ground South American coffee and teas.