Holidaymakers and travelers are missing a huge trick when it comes to airplane food. That’s according to Travel expert David Farely, who has experimented with every meal possible, so you don’t have to.
Writing for the Washington Post, Farley spoke about the process airlines go through when picking what goes into their meals.
He said: “Airlines’ philosophy of free meals is to offend as few palates as possible.
“Scientific studies have shown that a combination of changes in cabin air pressure and a reduction of humidity while 35,000 feet in the air reduces our palate’s sensitivity to sweet and salty flavors by about 30%.”
He also says factors like the “humming of a jet’s engine” can decrease the sensitivity of our taste buds, rendering food all the less appealing.
Having tried all of the available options including the diabetic meal, low sodium meal, and the vegan meal, travel guru Farley has landed on the very best option claiming, on most airlines, the Hindu special meal is the best for taste.
Farley explains the greater levels of spice, unaffected by the altitude of the plane, contributed hugely to this being his go-to option wherever he travels.
And the best part is, it doesn’t take away from anyone else’s experience as, having contacted an airline who serves these types of meals, he was told there is “no limit,” on the number of religious or dietary-specific meals on offer.
Popular Tiktok doctor Dr Karan Raj offers other ways to stimulate your taste buds at 35,000ft.
Dr. Raj suggests opting for “umami-rich” foods. “Umami” translates to “pleasant savoury taste”, and is described as “brothy or meaty” in flavour.
This flavour can be received from foods that have high levels of the amino acid Glutamate, which is high in meats, tomatoes and cheeses.
Dr.Raj also suggests wearing ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones “to try and “boost your sense of taste.”
Farley’s advice comes as price comparison site and watchdog Moneysupermarket.com has announced its rankings of the airlines that do the best plane food.
The website analysed 27,000 customer reviews across more than 100 airlines collected from multiple review websites, to give jet-setters a definitive answer.
Coming in at number one for Economy class was Air Algerie, Algeria’s national airline, with Romanian airline TAROM air and Turkish Airlines rounding out the top three.
Lesser known Kuwait Airlines has the best ranking in business class with Swiss international airlines coming out on top in first class