9 hours Ago By Chad Beach
There was a time in airline history that full meal service was offered to economy passengers on flights as short as two hours. Those days appear to be over in the United States and many parts of the world, yet travelers on full-service carriers may still be able to enjoy a small treat from the airlines. Quick Links Daelmans Stroopwafels and United Airlines Lotus Biscoff Cookies How do these treats compare? The best ways to enjoy a stroopwafel The best ways to enjoy a Biscoff cookie Concluding thoughts The stroopwafels offered on some United Airlines flights and the Lotus Biscoff cookies that have become indelibly linked to air travel are simple pleasures that appear quite indulgent in an industry that seems intent on charging an additional fee for anything that might provide the slightest iota of enjoyment.
Simple Flying delves into the history of these snacks and examines the best way to enjoy these snacks served onboard airliners around the world. Daelmans Stroopwafels and United Airlines Described as two very thin waffles held together by a layer of caramel, stroopwafels are a Dutch treat that may have a history as far back as the late 1700s or early 1800s. However, the Daelmans Stroopwafels that are served on United Airlines flights trace their beginning to a time when Hermanus Daelmans founded his Dutch family bakery in 1904.
The back of a Daelmans Stroopwafels package proudly proclaims this story, stating: “Each stroopwafel is crafted from freshly made dough, pressed in a waffle iron until golden brown, and filled with mouth watering caramel.” While stroopwafels have been a common snack in the Netherlands and across Europe for a long time, their introduction on United Airlines flights was the catalyst that rapidly spread their fame in North America. In 2015, United attempted to make several small improvements to improve the customer experience across the airline's operations.
As a part of this initiative, the airline added Daelmans Stroopwafels and illy coffee to its complimentary snacks on morning flights, rolling out the new products in February 2016. They were an instant hit. In what proved to be a bad idea, the airline removed stroopwafels from its snack items in 2018.
Customers revolted and demanded that the delicious stroopwafels from the Netherlands be added back to United’s snack selections. Amelia Lucas of CNBC writes: “When the airline removed the Dutch treat from its rotation in mid-2018 to introduce new snack options, customers let the airline know just how displeased they were about the decision on social media.” The airline reneged on its decision and brought the Daelmans Stroopwafels back to flights across its network.
Lotus Biscoff Cookies It is interesting how popular items enjoyed in the air, like tomato juice and ginger ale are reserved for air travel and rarely consumed by people once they return to earth. This is somewhat the case with Lotus Biscoff cookies, where their fame is strongly connected to air travel. The Wall Street Journal noted that while many people do not enjoy flying, they look forward to the Lotus Biscoff cookies served on many airlines: “The slightly spicy treats are the only thing that many travelers look forward to on their flights; ‘this is the best moment of my life’” Often referred to as Speculoos, this popular European treat dates back to 17th-century Belgium.
However, the Biscoff cookies offered on today’s airlines trace back to a family business that started 92 years ago. In 1932, Belgian baker Jan Boone Sr. started the Lotus company in Lembeke, Belgium and began to offer individually wrapped Speculoos.
Eventually, these spicy little cookies made with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom became the Biscoff brand that many travelers are familiar with today. Interestingly, Lotus is still headquartered in Lembeke, and the company is still a family-owned business. The airline connection began in 1985 when Delta Air Lines started offering Biscoff cookies on its flights.
The enjoyable snack became popular with Delta’s customers and their fame spread. Today, they are served on multiple airlines, but Delta Air Lines is the only airline to have its brand stamped on Biscoff cookies. According to Condé Nast Traveler : “Biscoff is said to be a portmanteau between biscuit and coffee, quietly nudging customers on the best way to consume them.
” Indeed, this little treat from Belgium does pair nicely with coffee. How do these treats compare? It is interesting how many people immediately connect Biscoff cookies with flying. It is a complimentary snack that has been offered onboard the U.
S. majors for several decades now. Like United’s temporary decision to remove stroopwafels from its flights was faced with disappointed customers, any attempts to stop serving Biscoff cookies at the airlines have been met with a similar outcry.
It may be that in a world where flying has become less enjoyable and fewer comforts are offered to passengers without some sort of additional fee, the attempts to remove these simple snacks are symbolic of the airline’s increasingly poor service. In any case, when customers who have enjoyed both snacks are asked about their preference, stroopwafels seem to be the favored choice, even though they are not offered on as many airlines. However, Biscoff cookies invoke some airline nostalgia for many people.
There are a few customers who prefer the pretzels offered by many airlines over Biscoff and there are some who wistfully wish to see the return of peanuts. Peanuts were the most popular snack choice in the past but are no longer offered due to the rising concern about peanut allergies, which can cause severe life-threatening reactions for some people. The best ways to enjoy a stroopwafel Both of these snacks go well with coffee or tea, but the overall preference tends more towards enjoying them with a cup of coffee.
Indeed, they are meant to be paired with a hot drink, so if someone prefers a soft drink, it might be a better idea to choose a salty or savory snack offering. Daelman’s actually gives the following guidance for enjoying one of their Stroopwafels: Rest a Stroopwafel on top of your hot cup of coffee or tea. Wait for about two minutes to allow the caramel to get all soft and melty.
Your wafel is now awake. Go on then, bite into the gooey goodness! This is most certainly the best way to experience a stroopwafel. The caramel warms and melts, which seems to infuse it throughout the wafel.
However, there should be one further instruction. Each bite should be followed up by a sip of coffee (or tea if preferred). This balances the bitter notes of coffee with the mild sweetness of caramel.
A delightful blend that has the effect of causing one to slow down, relax, and enjoy each bite. If someone prefers, they can dunk their Stroopwafel in coffee. Dunking has a similar melting effect to resting it on top of the cup.
However, the coffee cups on most airlines are too small to fit a stroopwafel and someone will have to break the snack into pieces to shave it down to a size that will fit in the cup. The cost of upper-class meals is significantly greater than economy class meals. The best ways to enjoy a Biscoff cookie There really does not seem to be a wrong way to eat these snacks on board an airplane.
The flavors in Biscoff cookies are most certainly paired best with coffee, but tea drinkers will not be disappointed. They may be dunked or eaten dry. Dunking a Biscoff cookie in coffee provides some delightful flavors of ginger, brown sugar, and cinnamon offset slightly by the earthy flavors of the coffee.
One can understand why this cookie is appealing to so many passengers. The effects of cabin altitude can slightly dull one's sense of taste, so a good cup of coffee is important. One person noted that they do not like crumbs in their coffee, so they choose to alternate between bites of the Biscoff and sips of coffee.
This is a valid point as a Lotus Biscoff tends to get very soft if dipped too long into a hot drink. Often, dunking a Biscoff cookie results in a Biscoff sludge at the bottom of the cup, so eating it dry may be more enjoyable for most folks. That said, one downside to a Biscoff is that it is a rather dry cookie.
Concluding thoughts There was a day when one could enjoy the service of airlines like Midwest Express, who not only offered delicious meals, but also served freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on board their flights. Customer service has declined among the major U.S.
carriers and is especially lacking for those passengers traveling on an economy fare. The fact that some airlines still offer a little complimentary service is nice. The stroopwafels at United Airlines or the Lotus Biscoff cookies stamped with the Delta logo are simple pleasures that many passengers seem to look forward to.
It is interesting how such simple treats have become popular with U.S. customers.
Though they are common in Europe, both snacks were relatively unknown in the United States until they were offered on board U.S. airlines.
While they both go best with coffee or tea, and may even come with instructions, there is more than one way to enjoy a stroopwafel or Biscoff cookie. In the end, passengers are encouraged to power off electronic devices, lift the window shade and sit back with one of these snacks in hand as they relax for just a brief moment. Delta Air Lines is being sued by a passenger who suffered severe burn injuries after having a coffee spill on her during a flight from Paris to Seattle.
The passenger, who works as a flight attendant for a different airline, alleges Delta Air Lines crew did not take the injury seriously enough and initially failed to provide her with emergency supplies to treat the burns. Her injuries were severe, with blistering burns on her hip, side, and abdomen. According to the announcement by Mark Lindquist Law, the firm handling the passenger's suit, "After the flight landed at SeaTac Airport, paramedics examined the victim's injuries.
They were surprised by the severity and said the burns were the worst they had ever seen from coffee."An ER doctor who examined her expressed shock that "scalding hot coffee, capable of causing such severe burns, was served on an airplane."The lawsuit alleges Delta violated the Montreal Convention in their treatment of the passenger and also alleges negligen.
