If you’re a regular reader of Fly&Dine, you know that major news outlets love reporting on why food on airplanes doesn’t taste as good as it does on the ground. For those playing at home: low humidity and cabin pressure make things taste differently. That hasn’t stopped the BBC from publishing a massive story on the subject, though. In fact, it’s pretty good. You get to learn things like this:

However, a plane’s loud background noise of around 85db does not affect all tastes equally, says Spence. For example, seasonings like cardamom, lemon grass and curry taste more intense in the sky than salt or sugar.

Plus, they’ve got quotes from major airlines (hi American and United!) and include a mention of Heston Blumenthal, which seems to be required for stories on this topic. If you’re up for a decent long-read with some good wine info, go ahead and check it out over at the BBC.

Photo: Some rights reserved by Tim Loudon