For Ghanaian passengers desiring home cooking on board the ACC-JFK route, Delta Air Lines provides the comfort of local flavors modified by customer feedback in flight, just in time for holiday travel.

Local Emphasis

Delta partners with local chefs and catering stations in Ghana to ensure that the food served maintains maximum integrity and authenticity. While the airline strives to satisfy local customers in this context, a conscious mind for passengers with varied palette preferences is also important.

“We design menus with Ghanian influence and some western touches for our customers,” said Gabriel Palchik -- Regional Manager, On Board Service & Menu Development. “We tend to base our design on passport and customer data.”

Pouring into the community is vital to showing an authentic representation of where Delta people live, work and serve. That’s why local languages Twi and Ga are also spoken on the JFK-ACC route, ensuring that the service is rooted in the needs and language of the Ghanaian customer.

“We strive to offer thoughtful, elevated food and flight experiences our customers will remember forever,” Palchik said.

The Menu

Delta offers entrees influenced by local preferences and flavors in Main Cabin. Beef, chicken and fish selections are available on direct flights between JFK and Ghana, while chicken and pasta options are available on European routes - operated by AKFL.

The meal begins with salad, soup, an appetizer and bread. The main course follows, then completed with a sweet after-dinner chaser: a choice of an ice-cream sundae or cheese cubes.

Coffee and tea service is also included. Alcoholic beverages, including local beers, are also offered to complement the dining experience.

Both Delta One and Premium cabin passengers can select their main entrees prior to the flight.

While some options may occasionally be unavailable, there are five choices available for Delta One customers this winter and three for customers in Delta Premium Select.

Delta One

• Roasted chicken thigh – moyo sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, medley of carrots and zucchini.
• Braised beef – domoda sauce, steamed rice, roasted root vegetables.
• Vegetable curry – biryani rice, fried paneer, chickpeas, coriander.
• Grilled grouper – vanilla sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, green beans, roasted carrots.

Delta offers another West African dish, Thieboudienne, as part of a sauce accompanying the grilled grouper. The sauce is made with tomato, onions, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and other spices.

• Braised lamb stew – thiou sauce, steamed rice, green beans and carrots.

Delta One offers braised beef dish with popular West African tomato-based Domoda sauce, which comes with rice and roasted local vegetables.  An alternative is the grilled grouper fillet with jollof rice, green beans and roasted pumpkin, served with Thieboudienne sauce.

Menu changes on Delta are informed by feedback from passengers regarding requests for Ghanaian meals. In the premium cabins, the whole menu changes every six months, with smaller updates every three months.

Delta Premium Select

• Roasted chicken thigh – moyo sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, medley of carrots and zucchini.
• Braised beef – domoda sauce, steamed rice, roasted root vegetables.
• Vegetable curry – biryani rice, fried paneer, chickpeas, coriander.

Jollof rice, a staple in Ghana and West Africa, is offered in all cabins (Delta One, Delta Premium Select and Main Cabin), and is seasoned with local spices, tomato and onions.

In Main Cabin, menus are changed every six months, using feedback on new strategies.  Delta gathers comments from its crew and passengers, in addition to feedback from local sales teams in each region.

The airline caters for special requests by passengers who prefer a meal that is not currently listed on the standard menu. Passengers with special dietary requests (religious restrictions, vegan, gluten free, etc.) can select their meals prior to their flight.

“We put a lot of emphasis into designing menus that merge the local flavors of a particular country with the preferences of our passengers and crew,” Palchik said. “It tends to be a mixture of African and Western dishes in order to have our customers experience a pleasant meal that they will remember even after they deplane.”