If you know anything about visiting North Korea then you will have heard of Air Koryo. The state flag carrier they have become infamous for being the so called “one star airline” and for what it is like to eat on Air Koryo.
This is primarily for the notorious Air Koryo Burger, or rather mystery burger as it has been called. How much of this though is true and how bad is the food on Air Koryo? Well as someone who has not just flown with them a lot, but recently, I have a nuanced take on this.
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What the Air Koryo?
Air Koryo is the national flag carrier of North Korea. It was founded in 1955 and operates as the country’s main airline out of Pyongyang. The fleet is mostly made up of ageing Russian and Soviet-era aircraft, alongside a few more modern additions. It operates a very limited international network, mainly to Beijing and Shenyang, with occasional charter routes depending on political conditions and demand.
Largely it is the only game in town for travel to Pyongyang. This is save the Beijing to Pyongyang train, of which I recently took. That and technically via Rason. There is a less reliable Air China service.
The Air Koryo Food Story
It is actually a really short flight from Beijing to Pyongyang costing just 2 hours of your time. Because of this Air Koryo serve a simple meal which consists of a drink, and either the meat or veg Air Koryo burger. Drinks have changed over time from Taedonggang beer to North Korean cider (non alcoholic) to just water.
So, the Air Koryo Burger.
What is the Air Koryo Burger
The Koryo Burger was served for many years on flights and gained a notorious reputation as a mystery burger. Why so? Because no one actually knew what was in it. That was down to secrecy and well that it had a unique taste. Basically a meat patty with lettuce and a kind of mayo type sauce.
Was the burger on Air Koryo that bad? Yes it kind of was. I once ate mine and my neighbour’s and honestly felt sick afterwards. Too much grease and unknown meat. This to be fair is quite surprising as Pyongyang actually knows how to make burgers. Thus the Air Koryo burger gained notorious reputation. It did change over the years, but the nexus remained the same.
Oh and in case you wondered what the meat was in the mystery burger – it was pork….