Why do people crave tomato juice when flying?
No one likes airplane food, it's a fact. Tucking into that pile of mush can often be as appetising as licking the armpit of the person sitting next to you.
And while airline chefs are constantly improving the quality of grub served at 33,000 feet, it turns out that the loud jet noise can also affect passengers' taste buds.
In noisy environments sweet foods just taste duller. Savoury foods takes better and richer, causing passengers to crave tomato juice above everything else.
But if this is so, what else should you be eating or drinking in flight? Keep drinking that tomato juice, or choose green tea. If you are offered a meal, aim for anything that includes ingredients with umami savoury richness.
That includes foods like roasted tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, aged cheeses, bacon, beef, chicken soup or broth, roasted squash, soy sauce or other savoury foods.
Researchers did not find any effect of airplane noise on passengers' sense of sour, salty or bitter foods, but previous research commissioned by Lufthansa Airlines showed that passengers' sense of salty and sweet tastes diminished by 30 per cent when exposed to low cabin pressure.
Time also plays a role in the quality of food on flights, as noted by economist Tyler Cowen in his book An Economist Gets Lunch.
"Before deregulation in the 1970s, airline food was often excellent," Cowen writes.
"Prices were so high that flying was, for the most part, the province of the wealthy rather than a common American experience, as it is today."
As flying became more affordable, however, the food quality started to drop as well.
Written by Ellen Creager. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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