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What's the deal with airplane food?
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I mean, really, what is it?
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These meals are so inedible they've become a decades-old punch line.
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But why?
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Why is it so hard to slap together a decently edible sandwich at 35,000 feet?
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Airlines have tried to make their food tastier, going so far as to hire famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay to overhaul their menus.
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But still, these in-flight offerings continue to be pretty unappetizing.
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Well, it's not all the chefs' fault.
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When it comes to airline food, the issue is simply scientific.
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Smell is a big part of taste, and up in the air, our nasal passages are dryer than the 18th Amendment.
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Plus, the cabin pressure makes our taste buds less sensitive.
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Even the loud cabin noises can actually dampen your sense of taste.
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To overcome this, airlines offer even saltier or spicier selections to reach your weakened taste buds.
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But if you really want to improve your culinary experience on board, you can try noise-canceling headphones or you can hydrate your nasal passages, which, take it from me, is way more fun than it sounds.