It’s a relatively well-known fact that food just doesn’t taste as good at 30,000 feet.
As a study by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics found, this is due to the lower pressure in airplanes, which reduces the sensitivity of our taste buds to sweet and salty foods by up to 30 percent. And while most of us just grit our teeth and endure the bland taste of in-flight food, chefs simply refuse to eat bad food. And that’s why people like Garrette Bowe, the assistant chef at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, have something special in their carry-on luggage.
The secret ingredient for better in-flight meals
“I always travel with a small but indispensable tin of Maldon sea salt,” Bowe said in a statement sent to Travel + Leisure. “There are compact travel sizes and I always find it necessary to sprinkle a bit of sea salt on every meal. This simple ritual enhances the flavor and enhances each ingredient.”
If you’re not familiar with Maldon, when it comes to salt, it’s definitely a cut above the rest. The salt has been mined in the same British town since 1882. But what really makes it special are its unique pyramid-shaped flakes, which offer a distinctive crunch that you won’t find in other brands.
And Bowe is not the only professional who has something special in his luggage.
“I always travel with smooth Japanese onion oil as it is an essential part of my cooking kit,” says Carlos Gaytán, chef and owner of Tzuco in Chicago. “Japanese onion oil is essential for adding a deep umami flavor to dishes, a hallmark of my innovative approach to fusion cuisine.”
But as Gaytán explains, he doesn’t keep this culinary delight to himself. “This way, I can share part of my creative process with others and bring a global ingredient into the local cuisine wherever I cook. Traveling with Japanese Onion Oil ensures that I can consistently deliver my signature flavor profiles, blending the rich traditions of Mexican cuisine with unexpected, international elements to surprise and delight diners around the world.”
Chef and restaurant owner Jamie Bissonnette also likes to provide spicy dishes on and off the flight.
“I once traveled back to Boston from Seoul with Korean chili flakes – it’s like having a piece of culinary magic in my backpack,” he said. “The fiery intensity and smoky complexity they add to any dish evoke memories of bustling markets in Seoul. They add a depth of flavor to dishes that speaks of centuries-old tradition and connects me to the heart and soul of Korean cuisine wherever I go.”
If only we were all lucky enough to sit next to these chefs on our next flight and ask them to share their ingredients with us too.
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
(Image credit: Stewart Sutton/Getty Images)
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Note:
The information in this article is correct as of the date of publication.
Written by
Stacey Leasca
