I have been watching, with interest, the attention being paid to Air India and Vistara's attempts to improve the food on board their flights. I am no expert on the subject of in-flight catering. But I do know a little bit about it, because not only have I spent a large part of my life on planes, but I have also attended food tastings for both Air India and Jet Airways. And I have sometimes been asked by Air India to help select the wine. (All in a completely honorary, advisory capacity.) Seeing flight kitchens up close, you realise many things that are not apparent when you are enjoying (or, more likely, not enjoying) your in-flight meal.
First, there are only a handful of flight kitchens in each city. Each kitchen services several airlines. So, though we may like to compare the food on say, Vistara with the food on Singapore Airlines, the chances are that both the meals were cooked by the same chefs at the same kitchen.
Why does the food taste better on some airlines than on others? Three basic reasons. The menus, which are compiled in consultation with the airline catering team, matter. Some airlines select the menus and then leave it to the kitchens. And three, and most important: The cost. If you pay more, you get better food. That, at least, is the theory.
One reason Kingfisher and Vistara had better food than Air India in the old days was because they paid more for the meals.
この記事は Brunch の June 17, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Brunch の June 17, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Hitting the wrong note
Even hitmakers can have epic fails. Here are 10 bands that named themselves in haste, only to repent at leisure
A walk to remember
As India celebrates 25 years of Fashion Week, here's your front-row seat to the first edition, in 2000. The models, the designs, the gossip, the backstage drama, and those after-parties!
Before the tea gets cold
Sudhir Patwardhan's paintings show a Mumbai that viewers may find familiar. But look closer. The details tell new tales, trigger universal questions
Who's the third world now?
There was a time when Egypt or Lagos were considered lawless lands. Now one has to be on guard in London and Paris
Spice routes and detours
More and more countries are discovering that packaged Indian spices are contaminated. Back home, they're so convenient and trusted, we didn't think to look closer. It's time to rework this recipe
Murder, she rewrote
What's better than a woman detective? A team of two. New shows and films are making the most of the partnership, giving crime drama and comedy an edge
What broth this on?
Hopeless ramentic? Slurp up this guide and order the best bowl, every time
Unconventional habits
There's so much more to nuns and convent education than what shows up on screen. Why do the cliches persist?
Photos or pulp fictions?
Gauri Gill's portraits showcase ordinary folks, doing ordinary things, but wearing extraordinary masks. See why the quirky series offers more than what meets the eye
Hear it from a reliable sauce
Kikkoman launched a dark soya sauce for the Indian market after realising that Indians expect Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to have a rich, dark colour. It mimics the taste profile of the flagship Kikkoman soya but has a different colour.