Why do so many passengers order tomato juice on airplanes? Everyone has probably asked themselves this question at some point. Only those who have tried it themselves know the answer. He has a very special taste on the plane that he simply doesn’t have on the ground.
The pressure is on: tomato juice on the plane
Researchers at the Bavarian Fraunhofer Institute have found an explanation: According to their findings, passengers perceive the taste of tomato juice differently than usual at the low pressure usually found on planes. “Tomato juice was rated significantly worse at normal pressure than at low pressure. It was described as rather musty at normal pressure,” said aroma chemist Andrea Burdack-Freitag from the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP in Holzkirchen in an interview with the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. At low pressure, on the other hand, pleasant fruity aromas and sweet, cooling taste sensations came to the fore. The test series was carried out in the fuselage of an Airbus A310, which was placed in a low-pressure chamber to simulate the usual low pressure during flight.
Spices are perceived differently
It was found that the taste sensation does not change with acids in the air. The taste of sugar and salt, for example, will only be perceived more weakly in the air – as if you had a cold. Tomato juice at low pressure tastes sweet and fruity. Rich in natural glutamate, tomato juice gains in flavor the higher the plane climbs.
The tomato juice is usually served at lofty heights with salt, Tabasco or pepper. However, the fruity drink should definitely be consumed more often than just on the plane. It contains important vitamins and nutrients. 13 vitamins and minerals make the tomato an absolute superfood.
Tomato juice – the perfect source of vitamin C
The high vitamin C content makes tomato juice a healthy alternative to many other soft drinks or juices. A positive side effect is a stable cholesterol level, which can also prevent heart disease. There are plenty of nutrients and vitamins in tomato juice, which is why this drink should be consumed several times a week. Tomato juice is even richer than the tomato itself, because the vitamins it contains can be better absorbed by the body in liquid form.
Tomato juice as possible cancer prevention
Tomato juice also has a health-promoting effect thanks to the vitamins A, E and B1 it contains. Tomato juice is very rich in lycopene. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoid class. Lycopene is used by the body to deactivate free radicals, including carcinogens. Tomato juice contains up to 100 mg/kg lycopene (ketchup 125 mg/kg). The effect of the juice is described as antioxidant. Tomato juice can also help you recover from a cold or the flu.
Tomato juice as a home remedy
Tomatoes have a dehydrating, diuretic, laxative, detoxifying and cholesterol-lowering effect and are therefore often used as a home remedy for diarrhea or digestive problems. Tomato juice is even said to help with sunburn.
Tomato juice is an alkaline food because it has a positive effect on the body when metabolized. Non-alkaline, i.e. acidic foods tend to have an unfavorable effect on the body, but this is not the case with tomato juice.
The liver and kidneys have a detoxifying effect on our body. But these organs also need to be detoxified – and tomato juice helps with this. It not only drains water retention from the body but also harmful substances.
What is the right quantity?
If you prefer drinking tomato juice to eating tomatoes, you should aim for 1-2 glasses of tomato juice a day. Too much juice can irritate the stomach lining, but this only happens if you really overdo it. One or two glasses are no problem.
The individual branches of the tomato plant can grow up to 4 m long and the tomato fruit up to 10 cm in size. Today, the tomato is a typical garden fruit in every allotment and has become an integral part of the supermarket. On average, every German eats around 22 kg of tomatoes per year.
Tomato juice is also said to enhance beauty. Nails, teeth and hair are strengthened by the vitamins and nutrients they contain, keeping them healthy and beautiful to look at. Incidentally, only sun-ripened tomatoes are usually used to make tomato juice, as they taste particularly intense and aromatic.
Recipe for a healthy tomato drink:
Ingredients:
1 kg tomatoes
one tuber of celery
a dash of olive oil
a little salt
some pepper
Quality is the be-all and end-all. To make your own tomato juice, you should choose a tomato variety that you like best. Aromatic vine tomatoes, for example, are ideal.
Instructions:
1. put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to the boil.
2 Add the tomatoes to the boiling water.
3 Let them steep for a maximum of 5 minutes.
4 As soon as the skin bursts open, pour off the water.
5 Rinse the tomatoes briefly in cold water so that the skin comes off easily.
6. peel off the skin.
7 Remove the stalk.
8 Cut the tomatoes into small pieces.
9 Place the tomato pieces in a saucepan.
10. cook them at a low temperature.
11. sprinkle in some salt
12 Add a dash of olive oil.
13 Peel and chop a piece of celeriac.
When you see that the tomatoes are slowly breaking down and all the juice has run out, you can add more ingredients as desired for the last 10 minutes of cooking. After the last 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Then take a fine sieve and pass the contents of the pot through it. Alternatively, you can use a cloth kitchen towel. This retains more solid components.
What remains is pure tomato juice, which you can now leave to cool slowly. Depending on your personal taste, you can sprinkle freshly ground pepper on top before serving and enjoying your home-made juice.
