Taiwanese Local Dongshan Coffee Makes Its Way into In-Flight Meals – “Coffee Chicken” Now Serves Aroma in the Sky

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

Starting now, you can enjoy cuisine made from locally grown Taiwanese coffee while flying in the air as well. Domestic airline caterers have innovated their in-flight meal offerings once again, launching a first-of-its-kind “coffee chicken” dish featuring Taiwan-grown Dongshan coffee. This allows passengers to savor fresh and delicious “local” creative dishes even at an altitude of 30,000 feet.


                            ▲ China Airlines launches the “Coffee Chicken” in-flight meal. (Photo / Provided by the operator)

To promote the unique characteristics of local Taiwanese agricultural produce, China Airlines and LSG Sky Chefs (referred to as “China Inflight Catering” or 华膳 hereafter) have specially collaborated with the Tourism Bureau’s Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, the Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau, and the Tainan Dongshan Coffee Association. Starting April 1, the coffee-infused in-flight meals will be available in economy class on routes between Taipei and Japanese cities including Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Miyazaki, Sapporo, Nagoya, Shizuoka, and Takamatsu, as well as Korean cities such as Seoul and Gimpo.

In addition to designing in-flight meals that incorporate coffee, China Inflight Catering has also provided professional catering consultation and technical transfer to leisure farm and homestay operators in Tainan. This includes the development of six distinctive flavor dishes or desserts: coffee chicken, coffee spare ribs, coffee pork tenderloin, coffee sausage, coffee chicken soup, and coffee rice pudding. Chefs personally traveled to offer cooking classes. The Siraya National Scenic Area Administration has also launched a special Dongshan coffee gourmet travel route, encouraging visitors to follow the aroma of coffee on their journeys. With joint efforts both in the air and on the ground, the delicious taste of Dongshan coffee is being widely promoted.

The “Coffee Chicken” in-flight meal introduced by China Airlines this time involves China Inflight Catering purchasing nearly 200 kilograms of premium locally sourced coffee beans from the Dongshan Coffee Association every month during the offering period. The coffee beans are brewed using the filter method to extract the original coffee essence. Leveraging the natural meat tenderizer “tannin” found in coffee, the chicken is marinated and softened. This combines the rich, mellow aroma of the coffee beans with the chicken, ensuring that after cooking, the chicken retains its original tender texture without becoming dry. As you chew, a subtle coffee aroma lingers.


▲ To promote the unique characteristics of local Taiwanese agricultural produce, China Airlines, China Inflight Catering, the Tourism Bureau’s Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, the Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau, and the Tainan Dongshan Coffee Association have joined forces. (Photo / Provided by the operator)