JAL's international first class in-flight meals offer a full course of delicate Japanese flavors. In addition to flavor, color is also an important element. In addition to Japanese and Western dishes, the ala carte menu also includes light sweets called petit fours. These menus are usually created by the Product and Service Development Department, but this time it was a little different.
The development was initiated by the "KIZUNA Project" to contribute to the local community
Hirotaka Watanabe, Chubu Branch, JAL "In 2020, we were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Chubu Branch felt that innovation was necessary precisely because of the adversity. So we called for volunteers from within the company through a show of hands, and launched the KIZUNA Project, with the goal of benefiting society and contributing to the local community. Mizkan, one of Aichi's leading companies, shared our vision."
Mizkan is a large, long-established company founded over 200 years ago, known for products such as vinegar and Ajipon, but at the same time, they were also starting a new endeavor. The "ZENB Project" was launched to reduce food waste for the future health of society and the earth. ZENB paste, which uses whole vegetables, was attracting attention on social media.
Ryosuke Tanabe of Mizkan (on the right): "There was a growing desire to try new things within Mizkan. For the ZENB project, we wanted to involve people from outside the company. We thought we could do something new together with JAL."
JAL had been helping with PR, such as distributing ZENB sticks to customers at Chubu Centrair International Airport, but the team wondered if they could take further action. They approached Yoshida Kaori of the Product and Service Development Department for advice.
Yoshida: When I heard about this, the development and guest room quality development departments were working together to set goals for contributing to society under the slogan "Let's do Ethical Sky! ~ A prosperous future through food ~" as a cross-departmental initiative. Among the items were community ties and reducing food waste, and I thought it was a great idea to work together with them on this project.
Not just a vegetable paste. A unique flavor that surprised pastry chefs
From there, the baton was passed to Chef Toshinobu Tanaka, head of the kitchen at the JAL Royal Catering Narita factory, which develops and cooks JAL's in-flight meals. Originally a pastry chef, he was well-known for his in-flight dessert recipes. This is how the development of menus using ZENB paste began.
Masahiko Nagaoka of Mizkan (back row, left): "ZENB paste literally uses as much of the vegetable as possible, even the skins, cores, and seeds that we don't usually eat, helping to reduce food waste. It uses all the elements of the ingredients, maximizing their flavor, color, and nutrients."
Tanaka: "It was an intriguing topic from the perspective of the SDGs. When I tried ZENB paste for the first time, I was surprised at how rich it was. Previously, when vegetable cakes were popular, I made a recipe using vegetable paste, but ZENB paste is on a different level. Ordinary paste is certainly delicious, but when made into a cake it becomes watery and difficult to combine."
This unknown ingredient was completely different from conventional vegetable pastes, so the development team began a process of trial and error.
Tanaka: "Initially, the order was for baked goods that could be held in the hand and eaten. We tried things like financiers, butter cakes, and madeleines, but it seemed a bit wasteful to knead them into the dough. We decided that cream would be best, and after experimenting, we found that butter cream was the best."
We decided to incorporate ZENB paste into a special butter cream, handmade from high-quality ingredients. We also paid close attention to the ratio of the ingredients.
Tanaka: "We started with 10% and ultimately found that 25% was the optimal ratio. We made so many samples that we ran out of paste and had to ask for more several times. Speaking of buttercream, butter sandwiches are a familiar sight in Japan, so we made them into cream-filled sables and macarons, a popular French dessert. We also considered ease of eating and sought out the perfect size."
Yoshida: "These premium sweets can only be enjoyed on board the plane. These are the four best varieties, narrowed down from 20 finalists."
The resulting flavors were beetroot sable, paprika sable, edamame macaroons, and corn macaroons. The paprika sable will debut on June 1, 2022, and the menu will change every three months thereafter, and will be available until May 2023.
We have condensed the appeal of vegetables into a high-quality dessert.
With one bite of this crispy paprika sable, you can strongly taste the paprika flavor. It has no bitterness or harshness, and its freshness stands out in the butter cream. You will also be surprised by the sharpness of its sweetness, which draws your attention with a clean cut. This is also a feature of zero-calorie rare sugar.
Similarly, the beetroot sable is also refreshing. The mysterious sensation of the freshness of freshly picked turnips in the buttercream is literally indescribable. Enjoy the sensation of the bold impact dancing in your mouth, which is comparable to the vivid color unique to beets.
On the other hand, macarons are actually a JAL specialty. They are not too sweet, melt in your mouth, and have a crispy and sticky texture. Many customers enjoy macarons as one of the pleasures of their flight, and they are one of their proud sweets.
When you think of edamame flavor, you might think of Sendai's zunda bean paste, but it doesn't have the grainy texture that you get from beans.It has the rich flavor and taste of edamame, and is also easy to melt in your mouth.
The last corn macaron will bring a burst of summer energy to your mouth. The fragrant aroma and subtle sweetness will tickle your nose. Of course, the skin will not remain in your mouth. The contrast of crispy and sticky textures, along with the vivid flavor of vegetables, will make you enjoy a moment of bliss.
Mizkan Nagaoka: "When we received samples at our company, everyone was equally impressed. ZENB paste is made only from olive oil and vegetables, so I'm grateful that they were able to turn it into such a sweet treat."
Please enjoy these sweets that embody JAL's new approach.
Haruka Goto, JAL Chubu Branch: "We think this collaboration is a good opportunity. Mizkan has a culture of 'denying the status quo based on consideration for the future,' and innovation is also part of their corporate culture. We hope to deepen our bond by learning each other's way of thinking."
Watanabe: "Building bonds with our customers is also important. The JAL Group has established a code of conduct called the 'Commitment to Society' to realize a sustainable society. This 'Commitment to Society' pledges us to pursue environmentally friendly technologies to solve environmental issues through collaboration with our customers, that is, through bonds with our customers. You could say that this project is the start of that. It may be difficult to achieve both delicious food and the SDGs. But I feel that we are being called upon to take on this challenge."
The petit fours, made with ZENB paste, are tiny portions, but when you put them in your mouth you can clearly see the outlines of the vegetables, creating a magical eating experience. They also represent a new approach to in-flight meals that are environmentally friendly.
If you try this during your flight, you will surely get a glimpse of the future service that JAL envisions.
We'll take you behind the scenes of JAL's work, including inside stories on the introduction of the A350 and the development of in-flight meal menus.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
