We present a new approach to the problem of the thermodynamical equilibrium of a quantum relativistic fluid in a curved spacetime in the limit of small curvature. We calculate the mean value of local operators by expanding the four-temperature Killing vector field in Riemann normal coordinates about the same spacetime point and we derive corrections with respect to the flat spacetime expressions. Thereby, we clarify the origin of the terms proportional to Riemann and Ricci tensors introduced in general hydrodynamic expansion of the stress-energy tensor.