Sampling Local Cuisine at 30,000 Feet: China Airlines Collaborates with Four Renowned Chefs on Creative Dishes

Reported by Yu t
ru / Taipei

Enjoy Taiwanese local dishes in the sky too. The national airline has partnered with four master chefs from Taiwan to bring the island’s local cuisine onto the world stage. Starting April 1st, the culinary legacy of four renowned chefs—Chen Zhao-feng, Liu


▲ Four master chefs, from left to right: Chef Chen Zhaofeng, Chef Qiu Qingze, Chef Wu Jianhao, and Chef Liu Henghong. (Photo provided by China Airlines)

In 2014, four renowned chefs from across Taiwan—north, central, south, and east—were specially commissioned to create exclusive in-flight gourmet dishes for China Airlines’ economy class. The northern representative, Chef Chen Zhaofeng from Qingqing Restaurant, presented “Sweet Bean Paste Grilled Red Snapper” and “Scallion Braised Chicken Rice.” The red snapper was marinated in sweet wine and seasoned with white bean paste, resulting in a sweet and savory flavor. The chicken rice featured Yilan Sanxing scallions, tender chicken leg meat from Luye, Taitung, and shiitake mushrooms, creating a rich and flavorful dish. The central Taiwan chef, Chef Liu Henghong, Executive Chef of Kin Tu Restaurant in Puli, Nantou, innovatively incorporated local wild ginger flowers into his “Wild Ginger Flower Rice Noodle Stir-fry,” and blended the unique flavor of the Thao people’s shallots with fermented black beans, chili, shredded bamboo shoots, and eggs to create the aromatic “Shallot Quartet Fried Rice.” From southern Taiwan, Chef Wu Jianhao, Executive Chef and General Manager of A-Xia Hotel in Tainan, prepared “Pork Lard Rice Noodles,” where blanched rice noodles were topped with fragrant shallot-infused pork lard, as well as “Red Yeast Pork Chop Rice,” where pork chops were marinated in natural red yeast—known for its Tainan-style sausage flavor—then fried after pickling. The eastern Taiwan chef, Chef Qiu Qingze, Executive Chef of Lin’s Creative Cuisine in Yilan, served “Pickled Vegetable and Shredded Pork Rice,” combining Hakka-style tangy pickled vegetables with shredded pork, and “Fermented Black Bean Pork Belly Rice,” where pork belly was cooked with sweet and aromatic dried fermented black beans. Using locally sourced Taiwanese ingredients, these four chefs transformed their creations into visually stunning, aromatic, and delicious dishes, using creativity to elevate the culinary experience in economy class.

The southern region invites Chef Wu Jianhao, Executive Chef and General Manager of Tainan’s Axia Restaurant, to prepare “Pork Rice Vermicelli,” which features blanched white rice vermicelli topped with aromatic shallot-infused minced pork sauce, along with “Red Yeast Pork Chop Rice” made from pork chops marinated and fried after being cured in Tainan-style red yeast made from naturally fermented rice. The eastern region welcomes Chef Qiu Qingze, Executive Chef of Yilan’s Linshou Creative Cuisine, who serves up “Pickled Mustard Greens and Shredded Pork Rice,” blending Hakka-style savory pickled mustard greens with shredded pork, as well as “Fermented Black Bean Pork Belly Rice,” where pork belly is cooked together with sweet and fragrant dried fermented black beans. These four chefs transform locally sourced Taiwanese ingredients into a series of colorful, aromatic, and flavorful dishes that reinvent the taste experience of economy class with creativity.

Additionally, the four master chefs from 2013—Shi Jianfa, Chen Zhaolin, Zhang Hejin, and Guo Hongche—who designed the “Three-Cup Chicken Leg Rice,” “Xilu Meat Noodles,” “Pumpkin Rice Noodles,” and “Satay Mushroom Pork Tenderloin Rice”—received rave reviews from economy class passengers. These four signature dishes will continue to be served, alongside eight new dishes created by the next generation of chefs, ensuring that China Airlines passengers on all routes enjoy the finest and most delightful Taiwanese flavors.

Moreover, starting now, passengers flying China Airlines economy class on mainland China routes can enjoy a limited-edition dessert specially created by Chiayi’s famous snack brand, Lao Yang Square Crisps. Inspired by the phrase “123 to Taiwan, Taiwan has Alishan Mountain,” the China Airlines-exclusive square crisps take design cues from the iconic Alishan Mountain, transforming sweet-and-salty flavors paired with white chocolate into representations of Alishan’s most picturesque landscapes—including the sunrise, sea of clouds, and sacred tree—allowing passengers to visually savor the beauty of Alishan with every bite.