Cornell University food scientists say airplane noise, which tends to hover around 85 decibels, can affect travelers' taste buds — suppressing their taste for sweet stuff and boosting the taste of umami-rich foods like tomato juice.
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Tomato juice has a strong flavour that can still be tasted at high altitudes, making it a satisfying beverage choice for passengers. Additionally, tomato juice is a good source of hydration, which is especially important during air travel, as the cabin environment can be dehydrating.
The dry cabin air messes with our odor receptors, and since things taste differently when our sense of smell is impaired—think about eating when you have a cold—food tastes blander on a plane than it does on the ground. That same principle is what makes tomato juice taste better in the air.
According to a 2016 study by a group of Cornell researchers published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, tomato juice, AKA the main ingredient in a Bloody Mary, tastes better in the air due to the noise level on an airplane, which influences a human's perception of taste.
The noise on an airplane can make your Bloody Mary taste better, according to a new study by Cornell University. Pictured is a Cole's regular Bloody Mary in Los Angeles.
It should come as no surprise that the healthiest thing to drink on a plane is water, which also happens to be the healthiest thing to drink on land. Inside an airplane cabin, the air is extremely dry, putting you at heightened risk of dehydration. That can lead to nausea, headaches, and other unpleasant outcomes.
The dry cabin air messes with our odor receptors, and since things taste differently when our sense of smell is impaired—think about eating when you have a cold—food tastes blander on a plane than it does on the ground. That same principle is what makes tomato juice taste better in the air.