Instantly Make Airplane Food Taste Better With This Easy Hack

There’s nothing better than getting to relax in your airplane seat, after all the hassle of checking in and running to catch your flight. Of course, having a nice meal is the cherry on top. However, airplane food sometimes just doesn’t taste quite right. It turns out that flying does something to our taste buds.

Why Airplane Food Tastes Different

Flying can change body mechanics due to dehydration, exhaustion, and even inner-ear swelling. With that being said, we can assume that it also changes our sense of taste. Professor Charles Spence, the head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University, shares interesting findings on how the noise from the airplane can actually affect the taste of foods and drinks while being in the air.

The Secret

According to Spence’s discovery, the reason might be the dry cabin air, the change in air pressure, and the constant hum of the engine. He explains, “The 80-85 DB of the engine noise while flying negatively impacts our ability to taste sweet and salty – hence why airline meals need so much more salt and sugar.”

The Ultimate Hack

So, how can you make your airplane food taste better? The professor suggests opting for noise-canceling headphones because they “cancel the sound of the engines.” Choose a song you enjoy since this will help you enjoy your meal better. It is also scientifically proven that listening to music while eating makes everything taste better. One more secret is trying “high-pitched sounds to bring out the sweetness and lower the pitch of the music to bring out those bitter notes.” However, it is always best to order your favorite meal.