Thursday, January 20, 2011

Weird habit: Drinking tomato juice on airplanes


Have you ever looked around you on a plane and wondered why so many people order tomato juice? A few weeks ago, I found out that I am not the only one I know to order tomato juice on an airplane. On the plane to Bordeaux, both me and my boyfriend ordered it and looked at each other with surprise. Usually I never drink this very healthy drink, but on planes I always do! So I started wondering why I always feel a craving for it in the air. I vaguely remembered something about taste buds acting differently when high up in the sky...

So, I decided to look into this for real and end this mystery once and for all! Some 14.000 hits come up on Google. Apparently, the same question goes around about ginger ale. Quite some ridiculous reasons for drinking both tomato juice and ginger ale on board a plane are mentioned - such as that 'it's free and available', but so is everything else, right? Well, some research is mentioned proving that our taste does change with the altitude. We taste about 20 to 30% less salt than we do on the ground. According to this guy, tomato juice is the only juice that tastes exactly the same on a plane as it does on the ground, which is why we like it on planes according to him. Does that make any sense? I mean, I would argue it's because it tastes different in the air that I like it while flying.

Another theory is that tomato juice and ginger ale help settle the stomach, but would this explain the craving for it? Well, as you can tell, I'm going to have to disappoint you, my dear readers. The truth will take a while longer to be brought to light, but I will keep you posted on the progress I make. Any ideas about this are most welcome!

3 comments:

Miriam said...

Maybe it's all about doing something different, because you're already doing something different (since most people don't fly that often). It's adding up the special event of the trip?

I must say, I never suddenly crave for tomato juice, in the air nor on the ground. And in planes, I prefer to drink the drinks I normally do too. So what would that say?

Good luck on your research!

Kirsten Brown said...

The only time I have a Bloody Mary is on an airplane. Interesting....

Stefan said...

I am on of those people drinking tomato juice in airplanes (as I do at home)!!!!! Thenx for the insight, I had no clue! :-)