Airline Food During the Golden Age of Air Travel
Tasting History with Max Miller・23 minutes read
In the Golden Age of air travel, airline tickets included luxurious meals like pot roast, Delmonico potatoes, and heavenly delight salad, with United Airlines offering recipes in their 1954 cookbook. The history of airline food dates back to 1919, with airlines using themed flights to entice passengers and Executive flights exclusively for men, all focusing on luxury during the 50s and 60s.
Insights
- In the Golden Age of air travel, airline tickets included luxurious meals like pot roast, Delmonico potatoes, and heavenly delight salad, showcasing a time when in-flight dining was a gourmet experience with carefully crafted recipes and high-quality ingredients.
- The evolution of airline food from the 1919 Paris to London flight to the elaborate themed flights of the 50s and 60s highlights how the industry transitioned from luxury and personalized service to cost-cutting measures post-1978 deregulation, impacting the quality and experience of in-flight meals for passengers.
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Recent questions
What were some popular airline meals in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s?
During the Golden Age of air travel, airline tickets included luxurious meals like pot roast, Delmonico potatoes, and heavenly delight salad. These meals were served on flights and were known for their high quality and delicious flavors.
What is the history behind Irish coffee?
Irish coffee was invented in 1943 for airline passengers at Foynes Airbase in Ireland. It was created to calm disgruntled passengers with whiskey-infused coffee, becoming a popular drink both on flights and in bars around the world.
How did airline food evolve over time?
The history of airline food dates back to 1919 when the first meal was served on a commercial airline flight from Paris to London. Airlines like United Airlines opened flight kitchens and hired top chefs to create high-quality in-flight meals. The introduction of jets led to faster flights and the decline of elaborate meals, with plastic trays replacing glassware and china to speed up service.
What were some themed flights offered by airlines in the 50s and 60s?
Airlines in the 50s and 60s used themed flights to entice passengers, such as TWA's foreign accent flights with Italian, French, Old English, and Manhattan penthouse themes. Northwest Airlines introduced the Fujiyama room in 1955, featuring kitschy Asian decor and themed food like shrimp, cheese, and fruit served out of a pineapple.
How did the Golden Age of air travel come to an end?
The Golden Age of air travel ended in the early 80s, with economy class experiencing a decline in quality food offerings, while first and business class continued to provide top-notch meals. The deregulation of air travel in 1978 led to price wars, lowering airfare costs but also reducing the quality of flights, especially in economy class.
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Summary
00:00
"Golden Age Airline Meals: Recipes & History"
- In the Golden Age of air travel (1950s, 60s, and 70s), airline tickets included luxurious meals like pot roast, Delmonico potatoes, and heavenly delight salad.
- United Airlines' 1954 cookbook, "Favorite Recipes of Mainliner Chefs," offers recipes for a beef pot roast, Delmonico potatoes, and heavenly delight salad.
- The beef pot roast recipe requires beef chuck or round, veal bones (substitute with beef bones), beef stock, onions, tomato paste, bay leaves, parsley, carrots, celery, cloves, peppercorns, garlic, butter, red wine, flour, salt, and pepper.
- Trade coffee sponsors the video, offering fresh coffee delivered to your door, curated to your taste preferences.
- Delmonico potatoes recipe includes potatoes, pimentos, half and half, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, baked in the oven at 375°F for 1.5 hours.
- Irish coffee was invented in 1943 for airline passengers at Foynes Airbase in Ireland, calming disgruntled passengers with whiskey-infused coffee.
- The history of airline food dates back to 1919 when the first meal was served on a commercial airline flight from Paris to London.
- United Airlines opened its first flight kitchen in Oakland, California in 1936, hiring top chefs to create high-quality in-flight meals.
- During World War II, the Maxson Whirlwind oven, a convection oven, was developed for military use and later adopted by Pan-American Airlines for commercial flights.
- Female stewardesses became prominent during the war due to a shortage of men, with airlines using them as a selling point for their services, emphasizing their appearance and service skills.
11:41
Luxury and Decline: Airline Evolution in 50s-80s
- United Airlines stewardesses were often referred to as "Old Maids" if they had been flying for almost three years, as most stewardesses got married within 21 months.
- Airlines in the 50s and 60s used themed flights to entice passengers, such as TWA's foreign accent flights with Italian, French, Old English, and Manhattan penthouse themes.
- Northwest Airlines introduced the Fujiyama room in 1955, featuring kitschy Asian decor and serving food like shrimp, cheese, and fruit out of a pineapple.
- Western Airlines offered the Hunt Breakfast flights in 1957, styled after an Old English hunt breakfast with themed food and sounds of barking dogs and bugles.
- United Airlines Executive flights from 1953 to 1970 were exclusively for men, offering a club-like atmosphere with full course steak dinners served by stewardesses.
- Airline flights in the 50s and 60s focused on luxury, with cushier seats, reclining options, and even lay down beds on longer flights.
- Scandinavian Airlines introduced the Scandinavian country style buffet in the late 60s, carving ham in the aisle, but the food quality suffered due to the lack of humidity affecting taste.
- The introduction of jets in airline travel led to faster flights and the decline of elaborate meals, with plastic trays replacing glassware and china to speed up service.
- The deregulation of air travel in 1978 led to price wars, lowering airfare costs but also reducing the quality of flights, especially in economy class.
- The Golden Age of air travel ended in the early 80s, with economy class experiencing a decline in quality food offerings, while first and business class continued to provide top-notch meals.
24:33
Enhancing Flavor with Pot Roast Rotation
- Adding onions and other ingredients on top of the pot roast enhances flavor, but avoid eating whole bay leaves. The potatoes were flavorful but could have been diced finer for better texture and coating. The salad dessert with apples and cherries was not overly sweet, reminiscent of ambrosia, and didn't require additional sugar. Overall, all three dishes were delicious, with the pot roast becoming a regular in the cooking rotation.
