JAL improves Meal Service by Serving Freshly Cooked Rice In-flight

JAL has started serving freshly cooked rice in-flight to enhance the dining experience of passengers traveling in JAL First Class and JAL’s business-class, “JAL Executive Class – Seasons” on US and Europe routes. 

JAL started serving rice freshly cooked in-flight on its London and New York routes on December 1st 2005. The new meal service will also become available in March 2006 on JAL flights serving Chicago, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Paris, and San Francisco. The rice will be served on flights both to and from Japan.

JAL now loads onto its flights between Tokyo/Osaka – London and Tokyo – New York bags of Uonuma Koshihikari rice from Niigata prefecture, Japan. The premium rice cooks plump, has a subtle sweetness, and is considered by many to be a ‘grand champion of rice’. 

The rice is cooked prior to meal service using specially adapted microwave ovens. The microwave ovens contain a rice cooker function that cooks the rice perfectly, even at high altitude. It only takes 30 minutes for enough rice for 40 passengers to be prepared. 

JAL’s cabin attendants then serve each passenger at their seat rice from a rice container, the same way it would be done in a traditional Japanese restaurant. Passengers can now enjoy eating the freshest, tastiest bowl of steaming cooked rice served at 30,000 feet in the sky. 

Normally rice served on JAL aircraft is cooked prior to take off, cooled down and then loaded onboard. JAL cabin attendants then reheat the rice and serve it together with the rest of the passenger’s meal on a meal tray.

JAL’s cuisine is a combination of Japanese, and Western food. Rice, Japan’s staple food, is therefore integral to the enjoyment of nearly every Japanese meal served onboard. First and business class passengers who choose one of the western-style menus can also request a bowl rice to accompany their meal.

Furthermore, JAL has introduced in “JAL Executive Class – Seasons” new tableware to complement both its “Association des Disciples d'Auguste Escoffier du Japon” inspired Western meals, and traditional Kyoto-style Japanese meals created under the supervision of the Kyoto Cuisine “Mebaekai”.

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