I'm a travel writer, and I'm here to tell you why I secretly love airplane food.

I can't help but wonder, am I the only one? love Airplane food?

I've experienced all kinds of travel, from short, fast flights with Ryanair and EasyJet, to premium economy jaunts to the US with Virgin Atlantic, and even luxurious business class flights with British Airways, Qatar Airways and EVA Air.

I also had the opportunity to serve first class meals at the British Airways training school, so I know everything about in-flight food, from creating it to serving it and of course eating it.

I've had all sorts of quality in-flight food and yet I constantly hear other people complain and moan about how awful the food is.

It's okay if you don't agree.

Ever since my first plane ride, I've been obsessed with in-flight food, from soft panini to heated korma.

Whether it's late-night ramen and fried crab snacks on EVA Air, beef cheeks in rich gravy at dinnertime on a European route, or a delicious mezze plate on Qatar Airways, dining in business class is easy.

But I also love mushy pasta served on a reheated metal tray, plastic cups of couscous and an obscure dressing and, shocking to some, a £6 piece of cheese and ham toastie served at the temperature of magma.

I'll admit that my love for the sad English breakfast, often served in a metal container, may come from childhood memories of airplanes. Sophie Foster, Deputy Travel Editor

I know I should probably avoid airplane food because it's not healthy unless you choose fruit or salad, but I don't.

Flying in a pressurized cabin dulls your senses, making it harder to taste food than it would be on the ground.

According to a study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Lufthansa, salt tastes are perceived to be 20-30 percent weaker and sugar tastes 15-20 percent weaker at high altitudes, and overall passengers lose nearly 70 percent of their sense of taste, Artemis Aerospace said in a blog post.

To compensate for this, salt and sugar are added to meals for passengers to taste.

According to several studies, the average airplane meal contains about 360-400 calories per food item (about 1,500 calories total) and is high in fat, salt, and sugar.

“Airlines don't worry too much about nutrition because they think if you only eat one meal it won't make any difference among the thousands of meals the airline eats,” said Peter Jones, a former professor of travel catering at the University of Surrey.

Other ways to add flavour to aircraft meals include adding spices, astringent flavours such as wasabi and mustard, and umami, the fifth taste (after salty, sweet, bitter and sour) found in foods such as tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed and cured meats.

Perhaps it's my deep love of umami and salt that makes airplane food taste like nectar to me. I'm not a huge fan of sweet things, so salty and spicy pasta, rich beef curry, and mustard-smothered mushroom risotto are more to my taste.

My other theory is that my appetite for in-flight meals is partly a relief from boredom.

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Here's how I see it: When you're stuck at 35,000 feet, there's not much to interrupt your journey.

That's where in-flight meals come in.

About an hour after takeoff, your food choices are presented, hot drinks are served, and finally, a tray is placed on your table where you unwrap it to discover treasures hidden beneath the tinfoil.

An hour feels like a few minutes as you happily eat before your tray is cleared away and boredom sets in again (and you start wishing there was just one more in-flight meal).

Sometimes, on long flights, it's such a joy.

“But it's bland,” I can hear someone exclaim. “Plus the bread is dry and the meat is… mysterious.”

Well, I didn't think so, especially if you've ever tried the options offered on long-haul flights far from home.

I have to admit that my fondness for the plaintive English breakfast, often served in a metal container, may stem from childhood memories of airplanes and a misguided nostalgia for family trips.

But not many would turn up their noses at Thai Airways' Thai basil chicken, Emirates' vegetable crepes or Vietjet's crab and shrimp vermicelli.

You may not agree with me, but I always feel full and happy at the end of a flight.

Plus, you can always hand me a tray and we'll finish that too.

Let's admit it…I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves airplane food.