From Source to Sky: The Journey of Emirates’ Ossetra Caviar

From Persia to Poland, Emirates selects and serves some of the world’s most premium Ossetra caviar for its First Class customers. With First Class flyers invited to savour unlimited amounts of the delicacy onboard, Emirates has noted an increase of more than 30% in caviar consumption, year on year.

The route recording the highest levels of customers enjoying caviar are Emirates flights between Dubai and London, followed by flights to and from Dubai to Paris and Sydney, and then Moscow and Bangkok.

Celebrating the fine nature of the delicacy, Emirates has developed a signature caviar service ritual that is appreciated by First Class customers for its intentional reverence and respect for the gourmet treat.

To ensure it is always an impeccable dining experience, Emirates invests significantly into storing and serving caviar correctly - even providing a dedicated chauffeur drive service to transport caviar to and from aircraft. Caviar is dispatched individually for each flight, and to maintain the cold chain - approximately 165 trips are carried out each day.

Emirates’ refined ritual of caviar in the air

Caviar is considered a delicacy for many reasons, including its rarity and cost, and the sensory experience it offers—an indulgence that has captivated connoisseurs for centuries.

Harvested from the roe of sturgeon - each tiny, glistening bead holds a subtle complexity of taste: delicate yet bold, briny yet buttery, with a texture that melts on the tongue.

Onboard Emirates, First Class customers are invited to enjoy unlimited caviar, served as a luxurious, mindful ritual that highlights the rarity of the delicacy. Emirates cabin crew first don pristine white gloves and lay a fresh linen tablecloth on the customer’s table.

A curated array of accoutrements are then placed on the cloth for the full caviar experience – crispy melba toast, soft blinis, egg yolk, egg white, chives, white onions, sour cream, and lemon. Emirates cabin crew invite the customer to pair caviar with a glass of Dom Pérignon champagne, which Emirates has exclusive rights to serve in the sky globally.

Dom Pérignon’s complex notes of toasted brioche and almond are a sumptuous counterpoint to the salty, nutty, and briny flavours of the caviar, while the acidity and minerality of the champagne cuts through the creamy mouthfeel of caviar to form a perfect pairing.

As is the tradition with fine caviar, diners are presented with a pure Mother of Pearl spoon so that the delicate taste is not tainted by oxidation from stainless steel utensils.

Finally, an exclusive Emirates engraved caviar presentation bowl is placed in front of the customer, and the lid ceremoniously unveiled to reveal the glimmering aperitif.