25 facts about airline food you should know before you travel - Travel - delicious.com.au 

About to jet set? About to take off and see the world and explore the boundaries? Read this first.

Airline food has come a long way from the fruit and sandwiches that were first served on the London to Paris flight in 1919. Whether you’re flying first class or economy, or saving for your dream round-the-world trip, here’s everything you need to know about eating in the air.

If you’ve ever thought that food tastes a little different at 30,000 feet in the air, you’re right. Because of the low air pressure and humidity, our taste buds don’t pick up sweet and salty flavours the same way we do with two feet planted firmly on the ground.

Another thing that affects our taste is – wait for it – your ears. A study has shown that engine noise, like air pressure and humidity, can dull sweet and salty foods, while the sensations of spicy and sour foods remain mostly the same.

3. Umami is the bomb (excuse the safety joke this one time)

Our so-called “fifth taste,” unami, is unaffected by flying. Unami is the savoury flavour found in tomatoes, soy sauce, spinach and shellfish. That’s why tomato-rich foods are often found on airline menus.

Airline chefs are using lots of tricks to try and combat the effects sound and air pressure can have on food. This includes having an unami-centric menu, increasing the salt and spices, and using sound-cancelling headphones.

Your favourite bubbly at home may taste totally different when you’re on an airplane, thanks to its acidity and how we perceive certain tastes while flying. It could also be because liquids expand and contract along with atmospheric pressure.

6. Someone out there has a job as a mid-flight alcohol taste tester

Because of this, wine and other alcoholic beverages are tested both on the ground and in the air. Not the worst job in the world.

7. Airline food menus are prepared up to a year in advance.

Emirates prepares roughly 150,000 meals every day for their passengers.

Airlines lean towards traditional comfort foods, so the meal is instantly recognised by passengers when it is served.

If you’re able to choose your meal, aim for stew, rice or curry. They maintain quality and taste over time.

Meats are often cooked partially, and then completed in the plane’s convention ovens.

Meals are prepared down to the gram in order to prevent wastage. For example, American Airlines saved $40,000 by remove one olive from each of their salads.

13. Exactly this happens to your food when your flight is delayed

If a flight is delayed more than 6 to 8 hours and the food has already been loaded onto the plane, airlines will often dispose of the entire load and replace it. This drastic measure is taken to ensure passengers stay safe and get the best quality food.

The effects of alcohol while flying can be stronger as low air pressure thins the blood.

Over the course of a year, Qantas serves four million Lindt milk chocolate balls in economy class alone.

16. There’s a reason you always want a tomato juice when flying

Tomato juice is a hit up in the air. Even those who wouldn’t usually touch it can be drawn to the drink because it tastes much sweeter. We’ll have a Bloody Mary, please.

17. That foil packet of food really has some thought behind it

So just how much thought is put into airline food? Chefs from SATS Ltd., an in-flight catering service in Singapore, test the food in simulated aircraft cabins. The chefs stay in the pressurised cabins long enough for their palates to change, and alter the meals accordingly.

18. Qantas’ first class passengers get to eat this, true story

Qantas first class passengers flying from Australia to Los Angeles can expect cuisine including, spanner crab and harissa tartlets, spiced lamb pancakes with salted chilli, and chicken tagine with almond and preserved lemon couscous. Don’t mind if we do!

19. The winner of the most culinary attentive airline is…

United Airlines chops, grills and packs all their food by hand.

Singapore Airlines have created a menu specifically for their toughest customers; kids. Children from 2 – 11 years can choose from their favourites such as macaroni and cheese, fish fingers and fried rice.

21. There’s a hatted chef back there somewhere

Airlines take our passion for food seriously, with a number of celebrity chefs acting as consultants for onboard menus. For example, internationally renowned Australian chef, Neil Perry, has been overseeing Qantas’ menus for 15 years.

According to The Luxury Travel Expert, the top five airlines with the best food are Austrian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and Air France.

Satiate your inner sticky beak; airplanefood.net lets customers from all around the world upload pictures of their airline meals.

Not only does the EVA Air/Hello Kitty Plane have Hello Kitty branded toilet paper, but their food is also themed with the cat’s face. It’s almost too cute to eat. Or the tweeness of it all might make your air sickness worse.

If you’re flying economy but have a first-class taste palate, LAX’s international terminal sells “Picnic in the Air” packs. They come with extravagant treats such as caviar, cured meats and cheeses, and Parisian-smoked salmon. Oh, and did we mention the selection of 20 vodkas and champagnes?

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