In-flight catering from Almaty starts at the Green Bazaar and the apple orchards on the slopes above the city. Aport apples, once the symbol of Alma-Ata, turn up as a cold platter, sliced and kept chilled for the drawer. Kazakh food leans on horse meat, lamb and dough, so the local specialities that travel best are the ones that hold on a tray.
Kazhy and kazy, the cured horse-meat sausages, are sliced cold and served at room temperature, which suits a private jet menu with one small oven. Beshbarmak is another matter: the noodles and broth travel apart, and we pack them separately so the plate is assembled in the galley. A private jet menu for Almaty also reaches for Uyghur laghman and manti, both of which re-plate well. Almaty City has a strong table, and the inflight menu follows it.
For snacks, think baursaks, the fried dough puffs, and dried fruit from the southern orchards, bagged for the drawer. Kymyz, fermented mare's milk, is an acquired taste and stays on request. When the guest wants private jet food that tastes of the place, we build it from these, not from a generic international list.
