Airplane food often gets a bad rap.
As it turns out, it’s not entirely the airlines’ fault that food tastes different at 30,000 feet than it does on terra firma — and it’s not all in your head that you’re suddenly craving a ginger ale once the plane takes off.
It’s science.
“It’s not your imagination. Food and drink do taste different up in the air,” managing editor at The Points Guy, a travel website, told Fox News Digital.
The combination of lower humidity and a pressurized cabin leads to dehydration — which “means things taste more bland,” said Henderson, who is based in New York.
In particular, he added, “your perception of saltiness and sweetness is especially impacted. Sour, bitter and spicy flavors are not nearly as affected, which may explain why food prep companies use more spices than they would on the ground.”
This is also why tomato juice – the main ingredient in a Bloody Mary, full of sweetness and umami – just tastes better up in the air.
“I also find my sense of smell is impacted, which can really change how food tastes, too,” he said.
“My sense of smell is impacted, which can really change how food tastes, too.”
But for anyone looking to maximize flavor on planes, Henderson suggested avoiding one thing: overdoing it on alcoholic drinks.
This is “not a great idea,” he said.
Alcohol “makes the dehydration and hangovers worse,” he said.
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