Airplane food isn't the best, and being at altitude can make it taste even worse . Therefore, for the category of travelers who believe that it resembles raw cardboard, Oxford professor Charles Spence, in an interview with The Telegraph, gave advice that can improve the taste of in-flight meals.
His main life hack for air tourists, oddly enough, is to wear noise-canceling headphones. They can improve the quality of food and drink. Professor Spence, an expert on taste and food, author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Food, explained his position to the publication: “Using noise-canceling headphones on an airplane can actually be one of the easiest ways to improve the taste of food and drinks at altitude. . Low cabin pressure, dry cabin air and loud engine noise all contribute to our inability to taste and smell food and drinks.” Suppressing airplane engine rumble with headphones will help because low sounds can also make food taste 10% more bitter.
Professor Spence's study at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant also showed that listening to high sounds can make food is 10% sweeter. “It has to be said that the effect was small, but sufficient to potentially affect the taste experience in the air,” he explained.
However, this is not the only secret available to travelers who dine in flight. There is actually a second option that will cost passengers a lot less than noise canceling headphones. We are talking about hot sauce.
So, chef Jason Atherton, who flies hundreds of thousands of kilometers every year, used the life hack of his famous actor and friend Jude Law.
“It was Lowe who advised me to always take Tabasco on the plane – the food on the plane is always bland, so it will be great to give it a taste. I just eat protein drowned in tabasco, which tastes normal – well, tastes like tabasco, to be honest, ”the tourist chef shared.
Also, it is known that air travel affects wine, more precisely – to his taste, so his choice for serving in the cabin of the airline is carried out with particular care. Jost Heymeijer, Emirates Senior Vice President of Inflight Catering, said some wines retain their palatability better.
“We are always looking for wines with good acidity, which tends to flatten out at altitude, making the wine more balanced during the flight, such as fresh citrus varieties such as Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. We also serve wines with strong characteristics, such as full-bodied Malbec, as they often come out best in the air,” a spokesperson for the airline said.
Meanwhile, a former flight attendant said there was only one way passengers can avoid being served “terrible” meals on long-haul journeys. This is what she said: “Your food will never be delicious. Sometimes it can be tasty or edible at best, or it can be downright awful, dry and taste like crap. So my advice is this. Pack a ton of snacks, drinks, sweets, fruit and whatever you like in your hand luggage and eat them, not insipid airplane food.
For those who care about a healthy lifestyle, we recommend reading: “Scientists learned how to treat obesity by turning off the neural switch.