Buzz
Flying doesn’t stress me mentally. It’s the physical experience of being shot through the sky at such high speeds that feels unsettling. Even if you don't suffer from sinus pressure or motion sickness, the noise of a plane can distort how you perceive everything around you. It can even affect how you taste food, which is honestly pretty frustrating.
As reported by the New York Times, 'our sensitivity to sweet and salty foods drops by about 30 percent in the air compared to when we're on the ground.' However, umami is easier to detect, which might explain why I crave tomato juice and Doritos during flights. It also sheds light on why snacks never quite taste the same at 30,000 feet, but it gives us a chance to adapt, combat it, and enhance the umami levels in our travel snacks.
I think you can guess where this is going. If umami is the only flavor that truly comes through when you're in the air, then it's the one we should focus on enhancing. Adding a bit of monosodium glutamate (MSG) does the trick. Just pack a few teaspoons in a small vial, tin, or bag, and sprinkle it onto your meals or snacks. (Though be prepared for curious questions about the white crystals. I've found that these tiny salt tins attract the least attention.) You can sprinkle MSG on your bland airplane meal, toss it in with some potato chips, or add it to creamy cheese wedges. It even works wonders on fruit—try it on an apple for a flavor kick similar to Parmesan.
