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The Travel Detective

The Travel Detective: The Science of Airline Food

Now I know what some of you think about airline food. You don’t eat it because you’re hungry, you eat it because you’re bored. Or you just don’t like it. But believe it or not, there is a science to airline food in the flight kitchens. Airlines have finally figured out not only what you like to eat but also why you like to eat it. And the facts might surprise you.

Despite what you may think, there was never a “Golden Age” of airline food. Airline food has always had a bad reputation–dry, spongy and just plain bland.

But it turns out the main reason for that isn’t the food, but it’s us.

Typically you lose 33% of your ability to taste at high altitude. Every time you fly, the effect on your taste buds is similar to having a cold.

The pressurized cabin, the colder air and the extreme dryness make your taste buds go numb, and you simply can’t experience all the flavors in the food you eat.

But food scientists in the airline industry have recently learned how to compensate for that by serving dishes that are rich in umami.

Umami is found in ingredients such as Parmesan, mushrooms, tomatoes, certain fish and seaweed. Umami-rich meals have a much more robust flavor profile, especially at 35,000 feet. A similar flavor effect can be achieved with spicy foods.

But sometimes, after running all the tests on taste buds and humidity level, that evolution comes full circle and right back to the familiar. While fancy meals might be good on the ground, there are a million ways that the meals can go wrong in the air. The best recipe is often just the least complicated. Smoked salmon and a little crème fraiche may just beat that mystery Salisbury steak any day of the week.

By Peter Greenberg for PeterGreenberg.com