Science of airplane food: the meals that should NEVER be served and why taste buds go haywire mid-flight

Airplane meals are a hot topic – and no wonder. If they hit the mark, they’re a stress-busting treat — especially for those crammed into economy — and if they don’t, they can leave travelers with bitter memories of their vacation.

Some flyers reasonably wonder why they can’t score well every time. A lack of attention to the science of airplane meals by the catering company may be one reason.

Sure, there’s a scientific element to cooking at ground level, but even more so mid-flight, as the strange things that happen to passengers’ senses of taste and smell aboard aircraft at altitude must be taken into account.

Here we reveal everything, including the meals that work well on flights — and are doomed to fail.

HOW OUR SENSE OF TASTE AND SMELL CHANGES DRAMATICALLY IN FLIGHT

According to research for Lufthansa by the Fraunhofer Institute, Artemis Aviation As noted in a recent blog post, salt is perceived between 20 and 30 percent less intensely and sugar 15 to 20 percent less intensely at high altitude, and nearly 70 percent of passengers’ sense of taste is lost overall.

This is due to a combination of factors, including the decibel level of the engine noise and the humidity of less than 12 percent, which rivals a desert atmosphere.

Artemis added: “If this weren’t enough, the low cabin pressure also lowers blood oxygen levels, which means your olfactory receptors, which play a crucial role in sensing odors, become less sensitive.”

Artemis Aerospace underscores the importance of our sense of smell by explaining that about 85 percent of what we think of as “taste” is actually due to our sense of smell. It adds: ‘So if people are accusing airline food of being bland, this may not be entirely a fair assumption.’

TYPES OF FOOD AND DRINK THAT WORK ON AIRPLANE

Professor Charles Spence from the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford has been working closely with the aviation industry on dishes that do and don’t work at height.

He told MailOnline Travel that “umami-forward food” is ideal — “tomato, anchovies, mushrooms, aged cheese and so on, all rich sources of umami, probably work well in the air.”

And since the onboard ovens dry out the food, meals generally need to be accompanied by a lot of sauce, says Professor Spence.

German carrier Lufthansa said: ‘Usually all stews and curries work well under low pressure conditions because the spices – for example ginger, cumin, cinnamon, chilli, paprika, cardamom, etc. – remain “taste stable” under low pressure when reheated. There is no need to increase the amount of spice in the regular recipe.’

Private aviation company VistaJet agrees with.

It said, ‘In general, all curries travel well. Because they are based on sauce, they are very easy to heat up in both the microwave and the oven on board the plane and the taste, rich in spices, remains unchanged.’

VistaJet also serves pasta.

It continued, “Spaghetti, or pasta in general, travels well, especially when reheated properly. For example, at VistaJet, we heat the pasta in the oven at 300 degrees in aluminum foil to a point where we’re scrupulous about “just reheating,” not overcooking. The tastiest pasta to enjoy? A tasty tomato sauce, pure umami, mixed with the greasiness of mozzarella in the pasta makes for a warm and delicious dish to enjoy on every flight.’

Lufthansa agrees, further revealing that the paste should be of good quality and care should be taken when sprinkling spices.

It stated: ‘First of all, robust, high-quality pasta must be used. Penne is probably the most durable. When using creamy sauces it is important to use only fresh herbs as dry herbs develop a “hay taste”. Here the amount of spice of the “regular” recipe has to be increased – even doubled – to achieve the same flavor profile as at ground level.’

In terms of drinks, he reveals that the Bloody Mary works because it gives you “an umami hit.”

And high altitude wines are also recommended by experts.

Professor Spence said: ‘Interestingly, you’re probably better off going with a fruitier New World number, even better if it comes from a high altitude vineyard, as you’ll find with many Chilean wines. One suggestion here is that wines will have been made at similar atmospheric pressure, equivalent to 5-6000 feet above sea level, as in a typical airplane cabin.’

Professor Spence also recommends fruit-forward craft beers.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES THAT DO NOT WORK ON AIRPLANE

Professor Spence has some advice for airline sommeliers.

He said, “Old World wines that contain tannin don’t necessarily taste as good at high altitude.”

And Parmesan cheese is potentially dangerous because it has a sweaty sock flavor.

Professor Spence said: ‘One would want to avoid Parmesan – although it is a great source of umami – given that one of the most important volatile chemicals is shared with sweaty socks.’

Lufthansa labeled rice-based risottos as poor performers, citing that “they become dry and sticky when reheated.” It added: “However, replacing the rice with alternatives such as barley makes the dish suitable for airline catering.”

Lufthansa also explained why it is careful with certain vegetables, adding that ‘Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and sauerkraut should only be used sparingly’ because of ‘strong odor development’. Plus, it said, “they’re also harder to digest than other veggies.”

Meanwhile, VistaJet has added oysters and duck breast to its list of hazardous substances.

It read: ‘Oysters are a true taste of the sea, but for health and safety reasons we do not serve them on board as the correct temperature cannot be guaranteed from kitchen to serving. Instead, consider a light, healthy selection of sushi or sashimi. The earthy and spicy herbs will work beautifully at altitude.

And duck breast with plum sauce is a classic, but in the air it struggles to convey mouthfeel and flavour. At altitude, the breast becomes dry, the skin loses elasticity and it can taste musty.’