'A lot to consider': How chefs design food to specifically taste good on a plane
Updated . First published
Celebrity chef Josh Emett will design an elevated onboard menu for premium Air New Zealand passengers under a new partnership aimed at taking the country's best food to the world.
One main consideration Emett has faced is the need to design a dish specifically to be eaten at altitude.
"There's a lot to consider when creating dishes that are to be enjoyed in the skies," Emett said.
READ MORE: These are the best places to ski around the world
Plane food may taste amazing on the ground, but it's a totally different story in the air. Supplied
"Lower air pressure, humidity and even background noise change how we experience flavour," the chef continued.
"You have to think carefully about how dishes are built, from seasoning through to texture and balance."
Passengers will see bolder flavours designed to cut through those cabin conditions, including a Pinot-braised chicken and dishes with miso dressing.
Air New Zealand has announced Emett as its new culinary ambassador to overhaul the dining experience in its premium cabins.
The restaurateur, who is the only New Zealand chef to have collected Michelin stars across three different restaurants in London, New York and Los Angeles during his time with Gordon Ramsay, will create signature dishes for the airline.
READ MORE: The Bali alternative that Aussies are embracing for an easy holiday
Plane food can be hit or miss. Getty
Emett said he built the menu around ingredients he loves, such as New Zealand lamb and venison, while accounting for the challenges of dining at altitude.
Because, yes, there is an actual scientific reason which explains why many believe airplane food tastes 'so bad'.
One thing that high altitude does is make a plane cabin's air extremely dry, and as a result, our sense of taste and smell go downhill.
For example, salt is perceived to be between 20 and 30 per cent less intense and sugar 15 to 20 per cent less intense at high altitude, according to research by the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics conducted for Lufthansa.
A lot can affect your taste buds. Getty
Another reason our taste goes a little haywire is because of chilly airplane temperatures.
Herbert Stone, who has a PhD in nutrition and worked on food for the Apollo Moon Mission, said we don't taste flavours as well when it's cold.
"Low moisture and air movement will dry the nasal passages and this reduces odour and taste sensitivity," Stone previously told CNN Travel, adding that when the exact same food is tested at sea level, "it will be rated as stronger and more intense."
Headphones can help your food taste better. Getty Images/iStockphoto
If you find yourself really not enjoying your in-flight meal, try popping on a set of noise-cancelling headphones.
Low-pitched noises can affect our sense of taste, so droning out the plane's engine can really change the way your food tastes.
Air NZ's new meal options will feature in Premium Economy, Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe on all long-haul flights out of Auckland and select flights from North America, from October.
The selection will include seared Fiordland wild venison with golden kūmara chutney, kawakawa spiced beetroot and toasted pinenuts, as well as a smoked kahawai mousse with red onion and celery pickle.
Air New Zealand chief customer and digital officer Jeremy O'Brien said the airline's culinary teams would work with Emett and local producers to showcase regional New Zealand produce, focusing heavily on seasonality and quality.
