With the summer holidays fast approaching, Brits have started counting down the days until their long-awaited breaks abroad - but many will have to brave the questionable airplane food first. When flying 33,000 feet in the sky, your taste buds can be manipulated by the pressurised cabin, which can affect your perception of sweet and salty foods . According to Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, the lack of humidity, lower air pressure, and background noise can cause your taste sensations to go astray.
Fortunately, one doctor has shared a clever trick that will "improve the flavour" of your cabin food . Taking to TikTok, Dr Karan Raj responded to another video which said: "Ask for tomato juice next time you’re on a plane. Beautiful UK beach with 'legendary' seaside charm named one of world's best "Dryness, cabin pressure, and altitude messes with our taste buds.
Tomato juice is strong while on the ground, but is so good and refreshing on airplanes." Dueting the video, Dr Karan backed up this advice , adding: "Choose umami-rich foods like tomatoes, meats, and cheeses. "This is because the low cabin pressure when you’re flying affects your taste buds, meaning that sweet and salty flavours are muted.
But at the same time, the taste of umami is amplified." According to Heathline, umami is one of the five basic tastes, alongside sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. It is best described as a savoury or 'meaty' flavour, which comes from the prese.
