Why does everyone order tomato juice on a plane?

Tomato juice is also very popular on trips, as it is very refreshing, sweet and fruity. “It's a drink that's 95% water, so it's very hydrating and as such, very interesting,” explains Sophie Janvier. And hydration is essential at altitude. “On a plane, the air is dry, and this encourages water loss.

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What mystery lies behind this fascination with drinking tomato juice on planes? We conducted an investigation with Sophie Janvier, dietician and nutritionist in Paris, to better understand the motivations that drive us to this drink at high altitudes. Here you are, heading for the Greek islands, ready for holiday in the sun. On the plane, you are offered a refreshment and without even thinking you ask for a tomato juice. It’s a reflex that many have noticed: (almost) all of us drink tomato juice on the plane. But this tasty drink’s aerial success merits questioning.

Cabin pressure changes taste perception

Tomato juice is generally beloved for its strong taste and mix of flavours. “What’s interesting about tomato juice is this mix of flavours: sweet, sour and salty at the same time, it’s a fairly rich drink in terms of taste and that’s why we like to drink it on the plane,” Sophie Janvier tells us. And it’s true that while you’re flying, your sense of taste deepens. The way your perceive flavours comes from smells and not from our taste buds as you might believe. At high altitude, the pressurisation of the cabin increases the volume of gas in your body and causes the olfactory mucosa to swell. In turn, this alters your perception, just like when you have a cold. Tomato juice is no exception to the rule: “Savoury or sweet flavours are less strong on a plane,” says Sophie Janvier. But paradoxically, tomato juice is also tastier, because other flavours stand out. Acidic and salty flavours fade out, leaving more room for others, and one in particular, very specific and difficult to describe, which takes over: umami.

A little taste of umami

Umami is known as the 5th flavour, along with sweet, salty, bitter and acidic. The word comes straight from Japan, and it means a very particular flavour: “If you’ve ever eaten miso or parmesan, it’s a bit like that; a round, tasty flavour. It’s complicated to describe and that’s why the Japanese invented a word,” says Sophie Janvier. At altitude, tomato juice loses some of its acidity and leaves more room for its umami content, which makes it a very popular drink with travellers.

An ideal drink for a flight

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Tomato juice is also very popular on trips, as it is very refreshing, sweet and fruity. “It’s a drink that’s 95% water, so it’s very hydrating and as such, very interesting,” explains Sophie Janvier. And hydration is essential at altitude. “On a plane, the air is dry, and this encourages water loss. The longer the flight, the more important it is to drink regularly. For a short flight, it’s less crucial, but on a long-haul flight you need to hydrate regularly,” says Sophie Janvier. Tomato juice also provides some important nutrients. “Tomato juice contains an antioxidant, lycopene, which is an interesting nutrient, and it also contains a little vitamin C and minerals, particularly potassium, so it is an interesting drink in terms of nutrition.”

Watch your salt intake

Tomato juice has many things going for it when you travel, but be careful to watch how much you drink, warns Sophie Janvier, “the problem with tomato juice is that it contains added salt and celery salt, which makes it quite salty. It should be taken in moderation.” Especially since you get heavy, tired legs while on a plane, due to water retention. And as Sophie Janvier tells us: “salt promotes water retention, and you need to be hydrated on a plane.” People suffering from high blood pressure must also be vigilant.

A taste of holidays

When you get down to it, could one of the keys to this mystery simply be the wish to break with your routine? Few people take tomato juice on a daily basis. So, since “air travel” will often rhyme with “holiday,” travellers might be tempted by beverages that they are not used to drinking at home. They would naturally feel the need for a change of scenery even before they’ve arrived at their destination. Perhaps it is that need for change and surprise which might help to understand this legendary infatuation with tomato juice on a plane.