If you've ever wanted tomato juice while on a plane, even if you don't normally like it, you're not alone. The German airline Lufthansa serves almost 450,000 gallons of tomato juice per year, which is a lot considering how much Germans love beer. It turns out there's a good reason why so many people crave V8 juice when they're flying. Tomato juice actually tastes better on planes. This might seem strange, since airplane food is usually boring, but there's a scientific explanation for why tomato juice is different. So let's not waste time anymore and get to the point right now!
So what actually happens to your taste buds at 30,000 feet?
How altitude impacts flavor
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Flying on a plane makes eating and drinking less enjoyable than when you're on the ground. The pressurized cabins and constant background noise work against your taste buds. The low humidity and air pressure on planes make sweet and salty flavors up to 30% less strong. That's why airplane meals have more salt and seasoning.
Not all flavors are affected the same way. The umami flavor, which is the savory taste in foods like meat, cheese, and tomatoes, is actually more pronounced on a plane. The unique conditions of being on a commercial flight make tomato juice taste even better, which is why it's a popular choice from the in-flight beverage menu.
Rituals when flying
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Major airlines have spent a lot of time and resources understanding how our taste buds work when we're flying and adjusting their in-flight menus accordingly. Tomato juice is particularly well-suited for air travel, whether enjoyed on its own or in a bloody mary. The longer a flight is, the more pronounced the effect of flying on your taste buds, so the tomato juice you have on a short domestic flight might even be more refreshing than the one you have at the end of an international journey.
Over time, some people develop a habit of ordering tomato juice every time they fly, just like how some people always get popcorn when they go to the movies. It becomes part of the flying experience, a ritual that makes the journey more enjoyable. For other travelers, that ritual might be ordering ginger ale, as many find the calming effects of ginger and the carbonation soothing on the stomach. However, there's one drink you should probably avoid ordering on a plane – coffee.
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