Exploring the Science of Airline Food
In Exploring the Science of Airline Food, host Harith Iskander shares why airline food tastes different from the meals we enjoy on the ground, explaining how the pressurized atmosphere inside a plane affects our senses of taste and smell, making food seem bland. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.
Lesson Express
Q: Why does food on an airplane taste different from food on the ground?
A: The air pressure inside the airplane makes it harder to smell and taste food, so it can seem bland.
Q: How do airplane chefs make the food taste better on a plane?
A: They add extra salt and sugar to make the food taste stronger because the pressurized air makes it harder to taste.
Q: What types of flavors could help make airplane food taste better?
A: Adding sour, bitter, or spicy flavors could help because they are easier to taste in the pressurized cabin.