Many people on our planet follow diets. Some do this for medical reasons, while others do it from religious beliefs. There are still vegetarians. For babies and young children, special meals are also provided. But then you got on the road and chose air transport for travel . "What will be fed on board?" - those who adhere to a special diet wonder with concern. And not many people know that the Aeroflot company, along with the usual one, provides kosher, halal, Christian Lenten, Muslim and Hindu food. Requests taken into account and vegetarians. For the latter, there are sets with fruits and vegetables. If the kids are traveling with you, you can be calm: the stewards will bring baby or infant food for them. Those who are on a diet for medical reasons can order lactose-free, fat-free, unsalted, savory or other special foods. But in this article we will focus on only one point: what is kosher food on the plane. Aeroflot respects all religious beliefs and provides believing Jews with a menu of dishes made in full compliance with the rules of kashrut.
Religious Diet Challenges
For vegetarians, everything is simple: do not eat meat and fish (in some cases, milk and eggs). All other products are acceptable. About the same thing can be said about religious diets - Christian during fasting, Hindu, Muslim. You just have to remove the products prohibited by religious norms, and you're done! With the Jews, the issue is not so easily solved. According to kashrut standards, one cannot simply exclude meat in a creamy sauce or certain types of meat and fish from a food package. Religious demands dictate that the animals from which the dishes are prepared be killed in a special way. Some products, such as the liver, must also undergo special processing in order to be approved for use. Therefore, some Jews suspicion creeps in: is the beef dish, which will bring as kosher, such? Have all the rules been followed in its preparation? But kosher food on Aeroflot flights is always accompanied by a certificate in two languages. This document confirms the compliance of dishes with the requirements of a religious diet.
How much does special nutrition cost?
Not many people are aware of such a service, even those that often fly and use the Aeroflot company for travel. Kosher food, as well as any other (by age, medical or belief) is provided free of charge. Of course, in cases where the flight is long and during it passengers are generally fed. But there are exceptions. For example, if you fly in business class, then even if the flight lasts a little over an hour, they will still bring you food. And, of course, you have the right to choose a special menu.
What needs to be done to get special meals on board?
The fact that you have certain requirements for food, you need to warn Aeroflot in advance. Kosher meals will be brought to you free of charge if you notify of your culinary requests 36 hours before departure. The company’s website has all the phones where you need to call and order a special menu. Many travelers will wonder what will happen if the ticket was not purchased at the box office, but on the intermediary’s website and even at a travel agency. It does not matter. Would have a ticket. Another thing is if the flight is not operated directly by Aeroflot, but by its code-sharing partners (Rossiya and Aurora airlines). But if you start from the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, kosher food will always be provided upon prior request. But when departing from other cities of Russia, this question needs to be clarified with the company's call center operators.
Should I order a special menu?
Some people are interested in the question: will they be limited in the quality or quantity of food, compared with other passengers? We answer: the rest will envy you. Many avid travelers, knowing all the subtleties of the service for "non-standard" passengers, order a special religious menu, even if they do not observe ritual posts. Especially epopular for those who often fly with the Aeroflot company. Kosher food for such people is just a nice bonus. As these travelers assure, it is the most delicious of all 16 special menus. And this kosher food is really a lot. You are handed a large red box (in it, in addition to snacks, you will find a kosher certificate) and a separate container with hot food. Drinks you order from stewardesses along with other passengers.
Kosher food, Aeroflot: what is included
What are the two boxes made up of, which, having specified your surname, the stewardesses present to the “extraordinary” passenger? If this is a morning flight, then in a hot container you will find a huge omelet with spinach and onions. For lunch, you will be served salmon with a side dish of cereals. It can also be poultry or beef stew with tomato sauce. They are accompanied by special side dishes - boiled rice, fried potatoes or vegetable stew. Hot bring in a dense foil cassette. Each dish is hermetically sealed under a vacuum film. For dessert, they offer fruits, kosher pastries, confiture. Jars of snacks and juice are nicely stacked with a large burgundy box. On each package you can read the full list of products involved. The snack box is so large that it barely fits on a folding table. That is why many non-Jews, knowing the tricks of the service on board, choose kosher food. Aeroflot is generally famous for the quality of food served to passengers, but special meals are something special. Perhaps the company's policy includes caring for such passengers, the desire that they do not feel left out compared to others.
Where does such food come from on board?
Beef or poultry meat must go through the hands of the Shohet, so that Orthodox Jews can consume them. But who knows if these products were bought at a regular supermarket? The last doubt is scattered by the certificate, which, along with the dishes, is provided to the passenger, because Aeroflot itself guarantees the quality. PINHAS, which has a license from the rabbinate of the Russian Federation, is preparing kosher meals by order of the airline. Therefore, you need to order a special menu 36 hours before departure, so that your dishes have time to cook and load on board. You can be sure that this food will be the freshest.
Kosher food, Aeroflot: reviews
Many experienced tourists have already figured out the tricks of the service on board. Even as unbelievers and completely healthy people, they order halal, lean, non-vegetarian Hindus, diabetic or kosher food. Aeroflot, when accepting an order, does not ask for a certificate of your religious affiliation or the doctor’s instructions. You can order such food when buying a ticket, even if you purchase it through a travel agency. But then you have the right to call the call center and provide yourself with a special menu. The main thing is that it should not be later than 36 hours before departure. Reviews report that, unfortunately, there are destinations where kosher food is not given (flights from Irkutsk, Minsk, Havana and Vilnius).