Cover Chef Kono Fumiko, Japan Airlines' chef consultant
Chef Kono Fumiko, Japan Airlines' chef consultant
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The chef consultant of Japan Airlines, who helms the First Class and Business Class menus, showcases a sustainable Japanese menu that utilises the 50 ingredients for the future
While many may not relish the ordeal of commercial air travel, there is something about the unique microclimate of an aeroplane that makes meals feel extra special. En route to Tokyo, a savoury, luxurious cream of mushroom soup arrives piping hot on the table. The stock is infused with enoki mushrooms, which intensifies the soup’s rich flavour. And according to Japan Airlines (JAL) chef Kono Fumiko, this ingredient is selected because it is particularly soothing for the throat.
In such a dry environment, the mouthfeel is smooth and relaxing, like comfort food that warms the soul. Apart from the soup, other dishes that Kono considers her favourites are the ones that the passengers onboard JAL adore the most. For one, her impeccable quinoa salad mixed with some lotus root is a real crowd-pleaser. Incidentally, the lotus root has been designated as one of the 50 ingredients for the future. The amalgamation of tart and salty flavours is absolutely irresistible. It is bright, crunchy, colourful and refreshing. Above all, it is enduring.
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The choice of ingredients is a formative part of Kono’s creative process. For the celebrated chef, food needs to teach empathy. She is more concerned about the story behind the ingredients being used, and bringing them across in ways that are relatable for her consumers. And since October 2021, JAL has introduced a new inflight meal of “Red à table” with the theme of “Inflight meals for the future” to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals (a collection of seventeen interlinked objectives).
In addition to deliciousness, all meals were designed to reduce food loss. Other highlights include a silky, rich pumpkin mousse utilising the whole pumpkin, including the guts and seeds and the carrot noodles with chicken and sesame flavoured spinach which uses “recycled spinach” grown from compost made out of food waste.
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Tokyo-born chef Kono, who helms the First Class and Business Class menus at JAL, graduated at the top of her class from the esteemed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and went on to become the sous chef at three-Michelin-starred L'Arpège. Throughout her illustrious career, she thrived as a Paris-based freelance chef catering to eminent VIPs across the world. Her culinary philosophy—what she refers to as “positive healthiness” embraces sustainability, health and personal well-being.
Her dishes on JAL incorporate ginger and other ingredients that warm the body, together with mint and other herbs. “It is not only about the use of ginger: our concept about safety, comfort and sustainability is all reflected in my inflight meals. For example, any ingredients I chose would consider the safety and sustainability of those ingredients. In designing meals, my focus is on the future 50 foods,” she adds.
The future 50 food report, published in February 2019 by the World Wide Fund for Nature and Knorr, is a collection of plant-based foods that not only elevate the nutritional value of meals but minimise environmental impact too. And JAL is meticulously working on menus that utilise these future 50 foods as part of their own sustainability ethos. Besides, Kono herself is a huge advocate of sustainability in her daily living habits. She purchases local produce from farmers markets, and focuses on those that use less pesticides. While she does consume beef, she only selects grass-fed beef. In addition, she takes one week's worth of raw rubbish to a facility nearby to have it composted. “I am glad to see New York City having such an infrastructure to allow people to practise habits like composting waste. This leads to an overall reduction of food loss and waste,” she says.
Above Chef Kono Fumiko's First Class and Business Class menus
Chef Kono Fumiko's First Class and Business Class menus
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With an influx of female chefs entering a traditionally male dominated industry, Kono feels proud of such an advancement. She admits that while this progression in equal opportunities is not as far-reaching as the West, it is a work in progress. For example, in one of Japan’s most prestigious culinary competitions spotlighting chefs under the age of 35, she has been appointed as the first female head judge, sparking a conversation across the nation. To add, the number of female chefs participants have significantly increased.
“There are many places that accept ideas from both men and women. The focus is on creativity and as long as anyone has that, they would be allowed to shine. It’s no longer about gender,” the chef consultant of JAL affirms. Thus, she works close with the JAL team to honour these diverse values, adding that “we are always looking out for opportunities to improve.” And as exquisite as the meals onboard are, as balanced and nourishing as they can be, what remains the most genuinely thrilling is to watch how Kono continues her pursuit for what is good for the passengers and the exciting developments that lie ahead for the airlines.
