Travel is food for the soul. It not only helps us to gain a more rounded perspective on the world but it can also genuinely help us to become more patient, understanding, and empathetic individuals.
That being said, travel isn't always pretty and rarely tastes good — especially when you're forced to dine on warmed-over airplane food. Which raises a fair question: just why does airplane food taste so bad and can anything be done about it?
Anthony Bourdain once said that "Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown." Travel enacts a journey of self-discovery, growth, and rebirth.
To be well-traveled means to venture far and beyond your comfort zone. To get lost in cities where you neither know the route nor the language.
I'm talking about train cars that have never come to know the soft breeze of air conditioning, buses that were built long before seatbelts became the status quo — and airline food that is all but inedible.
It turns out that there's actually a fairly scientific reason as to why airplane food tastes as disgusting as it does.
It might sound crazy, but the cabin air inside an airplane is actually drier than in some deserts! This has a profound effect on our tastebuds as well as our sense of smell.
Also, once the plane reaches 35,000 feet (the average cruising height for commercial airplanes) the human tongue begins to go partially numb — thus tasting anything at all becomes almost impossible.
Airplane cabins are designed to replicate the pressure on the ground, but it's still far less than what we experience at sea level.
If you've ever experienced a bad cold (or caught COVID) you'll know all too well that a swollen nasal cavity doesn't lend itself well to tasting food.
In a nutshell, this means that it is far more difficult to smell on a plane. Without smell, we have a much more limited capability for taste.
You might be wondering what loud noise has to do with smell and taste. Roaring winds and the sound of the engine can create a constant "hum" that reaches levels of 85 decibels.
As odd as it might sound, loud noises affect our ability to detect sweet flavors. However, loud noises also allow human beings to taste something known as "Umami" much more acutely.
Fun fact: in 2008, the staff at Lufthansa airlines reported that their passengers were drinking as much tomato juice on flights as they were beer.
Depending on the size, make, and model, airplanes can carry anywhere from 10 to upwards of 850 passengers at a time. It should go without saying that preparing food for that many people, all at once, is no easy task.
Gordon Ramsay himself would have a hard time preparing food for 850 people all at once! By the time you peel back the tin on your meal, it's likely been reheated 1-3 times and prepared hours before.
All I can recommend is don't walk onto a plane with a hungry stomach and lower your expectations. Trust me, it will make the first meal once you arrive at your destination taste all the better.
