The plane meal you should always order before your flight to get the best food

A TRAVEL expert has revealed the meal you should order for your flight to secure you the best food.

Most holidaymakers don’t realise the real reason airline cuisine can seem tasteless – but there’s a simple way to spice it up.

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A travel expert has urged holidaymakers to pre-order a speciality meal to guarantee better food[/caption]

Plane food has long had a reputation for being just that – plain.

It’s not always a fair impression, with some carriers offering famously excellent meals amongst the clouds.

Indeed, it was only last month that the annual rankings revealed a little-known airline as having the best food in the sky.

In general, though, the reviews of mid-air fare tend to be well founded – and there’s a surprising reason why.

Writing for the Washington Post, travel whizz David Farley explained: “Airlines’ philosophy of free meals is to offend as few palates as possible.

“Scientific studies have shown that a combination of changes in cabin air pressure and a reduction of humidity while 35,000 feet in the air
reduces our palate’s sensitivity to sweet and salty flavours by about 30%.

“Even loud background noise, such as the humming of a jet’s engine, dulls our taste buds.

“So, a handful of flights ago, I started experimenting by taking advantage of the special meals that airlines offer.”

After working his way through bland low-sodium, diabetic and vegan meals, David found that one thing not affected by the pressure was spicy food.

So following much trial and error he settled on his fool-proof hack for good food – ordering the Hindu special meal.

Since he started he’s enjoyed everything from coriander-loaded daal to “tongue-tingling” stewed okra without compromising on taste.

And he doesn’t even need to worry about taking the meal away from someone else who needs it for dietary or religious reasons.

He explained that, having contacted his favourite airline, he was informed that there was “no limit” on how many special meals could be loaded onto the flight.

All you have to do is pre-order the meal at least 24 hours before your flight and you can enjoy a delicious dinner made specially for you.

David added: “Preordering a special meal on long-haul flights is one way enliven what has become a dismal experience.

“So, on my recent Iberia flight from New York to Madrid, I happily indulged in tender chicken curry with rice and a lentil stew — a delicious and slightly spicy reminder that there are still ways to enjoy long-haul flights in economy.

“The same old chicken or fish?

“No thanks. I’m holding off for lentil beans with a slight kick, curry-accented chicken or whatever Indian-flavoured meal lands in my lap on my next flight.”

It comes after a frequent long-haul flyer revealed the 80p item she swears by for lengthy flights.