يحاولGOLD- Free

Why does it taste so plane?

Brunch|June 17, 2023
With in-flight meals, most airlines are just winging it. Our palates change on a flight. But our chefs are only just catching up
- VIR SANGHVI
Why does it taste so plane?

I have been watching, with interest, the attention being paid to Air India and Vistara's attempts to improve the food on board their flights. I am no expert on the subject of in-flight catering. But I do know a little bit about it, because not only have I spent a large part of my life on planes, but I have also attended food tastings for both Air India and Jet Airways. And I have sometimes been asked by Air India to help select the wine. (All in a completely honorary, advisory capacity.) Seeing flight kitchens up close, you realise many things that are not apparent when you are enjoying (or, more likely, not enjoying) your in-flight meal.

First, there are only a handful of flight kitchens in each city. Each kitchen services several airlines. So, though we may like to compare the food on say, Vistara with the food on Singapore Airlines, the chances are that both the meals were cooked by the same chefs at the same kitchen.

Why does the food taste better on some airlines than on others? Three basic reasons. The menus, which are compiled in consultation with the airline catering team, matter. Some airlines select the menus and then leave it to the kitchens. And three, and most important: The cost. If you pay more, you get better food. That, at least, is the theory.

One reason Kingfisher and Vistara had better food than Air India in the old days was because they paid more for the meals.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 17, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,500 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 17, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,500 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BRUNCH مشاهدة الكل
Hardik Singh
Brunch

Hardik Singh

Hockey player, @HardikRail6

time-read
1 min  |
May 31, 2025
Cook, don't get cooked
Brunch

Cook, don't get cooked

Are you burning up in the kitchen? Try these cool hacks to beat the summer heat

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Cut. Take two, please
Brunch

Cut. Take two, please

Nobody asked for a new Pride and Prejudice film. Instead, here are 10 movies that truly deserve a do-over, with better actors, tighter plots or a modern twist

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Not all bright and rosy
Brunch

Not all bright and rosy

With vivid pinks and a hint of irony, Arpita Singh shows how disorienting the world can be for women pushed to the margins

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
You want to break free?
Brunch

You want to break free?

Quitting your 9-5 to become your own boss sounds like the dream. But are you ready for a different kind of grind?

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Brunch

Lost in the sauce

Condiments are no longer the sidekicks. Here's how chilli oil, tahini, pickles and aiolis stole the scene from the main dish

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Vibe check
Brunch

Vibe check

Delhi or Bern? Raclette or chaat? Alps or the Himalayas? Swiss-Indian singer BombayMami debates which country does it better, and where her loyalties lie

time-read
4 mins  |
May 31, 2025
The stars are aligning
Brunch

The stars are aligning

With three Michelin wins, it's a big week for Indian food, and for the country's new wave of under-40 chefs and restaurateurs

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Expand your palette
Brunch

Expand your palette

Why do romcoms love the desi girlwhite guy trope? It's overdone and outdated. The real interracial diversity is on Insta Reels

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Last-minute cram session
Brunch

Last-minute cram session

What's an extra suitcase in the grand scheme of things? Ditch the minimalism and pack what you want

time-read
3 mins  |
May 24, 2025

نحن نستخدم ملفات تعريف الارتباط لتقديم خدماتنا وتحسينها. باستخدام موقعنا ، فإنك توافق على ملفات تعريف الارتباط. يتعلم أكثر