Great airline food

Ever wondered why the airline food served by cabin crew just doesn't taste right, or make it simple; yucks?

A 2010 article in the Daily Mail stated: “The sort of noise we are subjected to inside aircraft cabin affects our taste buds, reducing our sense of saltiness and sweetness. The finding could explain why even the best flight meal will taste bland and have the texture of cardboard.”

But there are exceptions:
Here are five dishes identified by Esquire Magazine.

Malaysia Airlines’ Bingka Labu

MAS’ satay may be the talk of the town but have you heard of their Bingka Labu dessert? It’s a soothing roasted pumpkin pudding made from coconut milk, and served with yummy vanilla sauce and chocolate straw. It’s jam-packed with vitamin A, a helpful antioxidant that has been proven to help the jet set with their jet lag!

Austrian Airlines’ Pastry Plate


What could be better than having living, breathing chefs onboard? Having a whole pastry department onboard! Those with a sweet tooth will be happy to know they can nibble on Fabergé-like sachertortes, dobostortes, and soft chocolatey cherry cakes. Or, if that’s not enough: the punseh krapfen, filled with D’arbo apricot jam, soaked in Meyer’s dark rum, draped in velvety pink fondant, and garnished with fragrant candied violets. Here’s to the sweet life!

Emirates’ Cheese Platter


Tart labnah balls, slices of rare Spanish bonvallis with a wine-soaked rind, pungent Swiss gruyères, chaumes from Périgord, and German cambonzolas – all of these come plated on oak cutting boards garnished with dried apricots, fresh carrots, and grapes. Not only that, the exquisite selection changes from time to time so you’ll never get bored. It isn’t surprising then, when this was dubbed the best cheese platter you’ll encounter onboard.

Thai Airways’ Deep-Fried Lotus Root with Minced Pork


We all know that Thai food is good. But deep-fried food 30,000 feet in the air? Before you balk, you might want to take a whiff of the plates served by Thai’s Royal Silk Class. There’s some very fancy minced pork atop an even fancier (and fried!) lotus root. But the great part? It’s surprisingly rich in fibre, vitamins C and B6, and manganese. Guilt, begone!

Cathay Pacific’s Warm BBQ Pork Bun


Once upon a time, Cathay’s caterers decided to compete in a huge BBQ pork bun cook-off to see who was worthy to appear on the in-flight menu. The result – a dollop of tangy pork and some homemade hoisin sauce are folded into a warm yeasty, honey-glazed bun – is just the thing to make you chuck your diet plans out the window.

Source: Esquire.com

The top ten highest scoring airlines (in ranking order) were:

1. Emirates
2. Lufthansa
3. Singapore Airlines
4. Aeroflot
5. Qatar
6. Malaysia Airlines
7. Thai Airways
8. Etihad
9. KLM
10. Air France

Source: Skyscanner

Challenges:
There is a different way of cooking and preparing an in-flight meal. Meals must fit specific sizes, be easy to assemble and be tough enough to survive cooking, chilling and reheating in-flight. Certain salads or fish cannot be used, for instance, because it dries up on board. Not only that, the recipes must be easy enough for the caterers and crew to follow, and the food must be simple to prepare in airplane cabins

Share your food experience with any airline you had before.