By Albert Kuan
Aeromexico Serves Record 270 ‘Chiles en Nogada’ On Mexico City-Madrid Flight
In celebration of Mexico’s upcoming Independence Day (celebrated on the 15th and 16th of September), Aeromexico joined forces with Mexican luxury department store El Palacio de Hierro to serve “Chiles en Nogada” for the first time on a Madrid-bound flight from Mexico City. Travelers flying on Flight AM01 on September 5 were treated to a unique dining experience designed and prepared by Aeromexico and the culinary chefs of El Palacio de Hierro (La Cantina Palacio).
“As Mexico’s global airline, we are proud ambassadors of the cultural, historical and gastronomic wealth of our country,” said Christian Romero, Aeromexico’s Senior Onboard Services Manager.
Chiles en Nogada is considered one of Mexico’s most representative dishes and is comprised of Poblano chilis and picadillo, a filling made of meat and dried fruit. The chili is covered in walnut sauce (white), pomegranate seeds (red) and parsley (green), each representing a color on the Mexican flag. Chiles en Nogada therefore commemorates Mexican Independence and is most commonly served during the holiday.
Chiles en Nogada is considered one of Mexico’s most representative dishes and is comprised of Poblano chilis and picadillo. (Photo: Aeromexico)
“It was an interesting logistics to serve one of the iconic dishes of our country, and it allows us to continue offering our customers unique travel experiences aboard the safest, most modern, efficient and least polluting aircraft in the industry,” said Romero.
On the flight to Madrid, more than 270 dishes of Chiles en Nogada were prepared in Aeromexico’s kitchens and served to travelers in both business and economy class on Aeromexico’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The Chiles en Nogada were also accompanied by a glass of Taittinger champagne paired by La Cantina Palacio.
Travelers on the flight also received iconic yellow El Palacio de Hierro gift bags consisting of Ritter Sport Milk Chocolate and small commemorative items from El Palacio de Hierro.
The serving of the dish also commemorates 200 years since the dish’s founding in Puebla state. Chiles en Nogada is said to date back to 1821 when it was invented by nuns of the Santa Monica convent in Puebla to celebrate Mexico’s independence from Spain.
270 Chiles en Nogada were served on AM01, Mexico City to Madrid. (Photo: Aeromexico)
In celebration of Mexico’s upcoming Independence Day, Aeromexico joined forces with Mexican luxury department store, El Palacio de Hierro, to serve “Chiles en Nogada” for the first time in the air. (Photo: Aeromexico)
“It is a significant year that we could not ignore,” commented Guillermo Martinez, Executive Chef at La Cantina Palacio. “At El Palacio de Hierro we celebrate 200 years of Chiles en Nogada, and to praise its recipe and tradition, we created a ‘Totalmente Palacio’ gastronomic experience to take this dish to the highest level it has ever reached.”
Ingredients for the Chiles en Nogadas prepared for the Madrid fight were sourced directly from locals in Calpan, a small town in Mexico’s Puebla state. The ingredients included Creole peach, Panochera apple, sweet-milk pear, pink pine nut and Castilian walnut. El Palacio de Hierro affirmed they are committed to promoting the development of this community by using sustainably-sourced and natural ingredients.
“(Serving Chiles en Nogada) more than 30,000 feet on an Aeromexico flight will undoubtedly be memorable for such a symbolic dish for Mexicans,” said Chef Martinez.
Albert recently completed his undergraduate studies in Business Accounting at USC in Los Angeles and he is currently recruiting for a corporate analyst position at one of the U.S. legacy carriers. During his college years, he interned at LAX for Los Angeles World Airports working behind-the-scenes (and on the ramp) in public relations and accounting. Outside of writing for AirlineGeeks, he enjoys trekking the Hollywood hills, visiting new hotspots throughout SoCal, and doing the occasional weekender on Spirit Airlines.
