Why Tomato Juice Tastes So Much Better On A Plane

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Unless you’re making a Bloody Mary, tomato juice probably isn’t on your radar as a go-to beverage – or at least, not while you’re on the ground.

So then, why is it that this savory drink becomes so utterly irresistible the second you get on an airplane? According to Lufthansa, the amount of tomato juice served in a year (53,000 gallons) is nearly equal to the amount of beer served (59,000 gallons).

As it turns out, there’s some pretty interesting science behind why tomato juice — or more likely, Mr & Mrs T Original Bloody Mary Mix, a souped-up version of tomato juice that’s become a ubiquitous airline beverage — calls like a siren song once we’re hurtling through the air.

A photo posted by Delta Air Lines (@delta) on Feb 6, 2014 at 6:35am PST

For one thing, it really does taste different up there. According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, the environment at 35,000 feet can do strange things to your senses. “Airline cabins are an unusual environment, in which food is consumed routinely under extreme noise conditions, often over 85 decibels, and in which the perceived quality of food is often criticized,” the study observed.

“Interestingly, while simulated flight conditions did not alter subjects’ perceptions of salty, sour, or bitter tastes, panelists noted that their ability to taste sweetness was weakened, whereas the perception of umami taste was augmented… to a progressively greater degree with increasing concentration.”

That’s where tomato juice, a drink that embodies the savory depth of umami, comes in. And again, it’s not just in your head. The taste of umami is detected through taste receptors specific to glutamate, an amino acid found widely in meat, shellfish, savory sauces, broths, fermented products, and of course, tomatoes.

“Surprisingly, when rating intensity of umami taste, panelists rated solutions delivered in the loud condition to in fact be more intense than the same solutions delivered in the near-silent condition, in the two higher concentrations, with escalating effect size with dosage,” the study found. “Our results suggest that instead of merely being immune to the effects of loud noise, auditory conditions in air travel may actually serve to enhance this already appetitive and sought-after taste quality.”

So there you have it. As underwhelming as the rest of your airline meal might be, your little plastic cup of tomato juice is actually at peak performance when sailing through the sky.