“Does airplane food taste different from food on the ground?” During my 16-year career in airline catering, I’ve been asked this question numerous times. The answer is yes, it tastes different, and the reason behind this difference lies in air pressure.
Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and the late Anthony Bourdain often criticized airplane food. But the truth is it’s not that bad. The quality of airplane food has improved significantly over the years.
Airline catering has come a long way since its beginnings in the 1970s. Back then, airlines primarily focused on providing basic meals to passengers, often lacking culinary appeal.
However, significant changes and advancements have taken place in airline catering. One notable change is the collaboration with chefs to enhance the quality of in-flight dining. These chefs bring their expertise and creativity to design menus that offer a higher level of culinary sophistication, transforming airline meals from basic to gourmet.
In the world of airplane food and catering, one popular choice stands out—curry. This choice is not only a favorite but also holds a connection to Nepali cuisine. A common practice in airline catering is the chilled-reheat process. This method is used to ensure food safety and maintain quality during transportation and storage. It enables a wider variety of meal options and ensures that food can be prepared in advance.
The process involves cooking the meals, quickly chilling them, and then reheating them on board, preserving their flavors and textures. But this process is more challenging than preparing à la carte meals at a restaurant.
Curry has earned its place as a popular choice for airline meals for several reasons. First, curries are known for their bold and intense flavors, which can hold their own even at high altitudes, where taste perceptions can be muted. The spices and aromatic ingredients in curries add depth and complexity to the meal.
Also, many curry dishes can maintain their textures even after reheating, making them ideal for the chilled-reheat process used in airline catering. Some even argue that curry tastes better on an airplane.
Additionally, curries are highly versatile and can be adapted to accommodate various dietary preferences and restrictions. This versatility allows airlines to offer a range of options to passengers.
Curries are beloved by people from diverse cultural backgrounds, making them a menu item with broad appeal to a global passenger base. Curry dishes come in a wide range of flavors and ingredients, catering to various taste preferences. The sauce in curry dishes helps retain moisture in the food, which is essential for airline catering. This prevents dishes from becoming dry during the reheating process, which can sometimes be necessary for in-flight meals.
Umami, often described as the savory fifth taste, plays a crucial role in enhancing the enjoyment of many culinary experiences, including curry dishes. This rich, savory flavor not only elevates the taste of these dishes but also proves valuable at high altitudes, where our taste buds become less sensitive.
Airlines recognize the challenge of maintaining flavor in the sky and strategically incorporate umami-rich ingredients like meat, cheese, and tomatoes to counter the taste-altering effects of altitude and low humidity. It’s worth noting that despite these efforts, the perception of in-flight food can still vary among passengers due to individual preferences and expectations.
Airlines can easily customize curry dishes to accommodate dietary preferences and restrictions since everything is pre-booked in advance with fixed allocated seating. This flexibility allows airlines to offer vegetarian, vegan, or meat-based curry options, catering to a wide range of passengers.
Curry dishes are known for their aromatic spices and herbs, which can add a pleasant and enticing aroma to the cabin when the food is being served. This aromatic enhancement enhances the overall dining experience for passengers.
But while curry dishes offer numerous advantages, they also present some challenges. The enticing aroma of curry can be strong and pervasive. Airlines must manage the smell to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm passengers or linger in the cabin. Preparing and reheating curry dishes consistently and to high standards can be challenging in the limited space and with the equipment available on an airplane. Ensuring that the sauce retains its texture and flavor is crucial.
Curry dishes may contain allergens such as nuts, dairy, or gluten. Airlines must clearly label and accommodate passengers with food allergies. Curry dishes prove to be a viable option for airline catering due to their flavor, moisture retention, umami, and versatility. However, airlines must carefully manage odors, maintain consistency, and address dietary restrictions to provide a satisfying dining experience for passengers.
The evolution of airline catering has seen a shift towards offering high-quality, gourmet meals, particularly in premium classes. While curry remains a popular choice, airlines now provide a wide range of meal options, including local and regional dishes made from fresh, seasonal ingredients, ensuring that passengers enjoy a more delightful and satisfying dining experience while traveling.
For me, curry isn’t limited to Indian cuisine. It encompasses various styles from around the world, including Nepali, Thai, Burmese, Indonesian, and Malaysian. I take pleasure in incorporating spices such as Timur berry and Himalayan chives or jimbu into Nepali curries.
