The One Type Of Food Anthony Bourdain Never Ate

Anthony Bourdain wasn't shy about food. He'd eat anything while globe-hopping for his TV shows — including the simple Waffle House fare that made Bourdain fall for the iconic chain. But one thing the late celebrity chef couldn't get behind was airplane food.

Bourdain never ate while flying, once telling Bon Appétit, "No one has ever felt better after eating plane food." He claimed that he liked to be hungry when he arrived at his destination, and theorized that travelers just eat it because they're bored. If he was on a really long flight, Bourdain would just ask for cheese and a lot of port wine.

Why is airplane food so decidedly average at best? Part of it is that hot food is cooked hours earlier by contracted catering companies, then just rewarmed in a convection oven on the plane. But another factor is that food and drinks just don't taste the same at 30,000 feet. The dryness and low air pressure in the cabin throws off our ability to taste properly, reducing taste buds' sensitivity by some 30%. It's partly due to the nasal passages drying out, which interferes with our sense of smell. Even the engine noise plays a role. It's been found to reduce how well we taste food, but interestingly enhances the ability to taste umami flavor. It's suggested that this is why so many people order tomato juice and bloody marys on flights.

Airlines have been working to improve food service, implementing menus from celebrity chefs, as well as more food and beverages to choose from. Many companies also make adjustments to counteract how fliers' taste is affected, by using more salt and sugar, along with spices and sauces. Passengers might also see the incorporation of umami flavor with ingredients like mushrooms and soy sauce.

The downside is that most of these improvements are for those flying in business class and first class. When economy fliers do get hot meals on long or international flights, the quality of the food can vary significantly by airline. For instance, meals on U.S. airlines tend to be less appetizing than those on foreign carriers.

But a couple of tips can help make airline food taste better. Drink water to stay hydrated and protect yourself against the drying effects of the cabin air. Wear noise-canceling headphones to block out the taste-dampening sound of the engine. And bring your own food so you'll be eating something you like, even if the taste is subdued — just avoid anything strong-smelling like fish or pungent cheese. Anthony Bourdain found this out the hard way when he got nasty looks from other fliers for something that actually smelled too good — takeout from Bourdain's beloved barbecue spot, Joe's Kansas City BBQ. He told Bon Appétit, "If you want to be the most despised person in the cabin, bring some good barbecue on and have everybody [on] the plane smell it."