NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in China and a member of the SkyTeam Airline Alliance, is hosting a #ChinaSouthernFoodies social media contest to find the next inflight food sensation. Whether you are a professional or home cook, foodies and flyers across the world are encouraged to enter their own original recipe via social media. A number of entries will be chosen to compete in the final taste-testing event at BREAD® restaurant in the Nolitan Hotel on January 26, 2017. BREAD®, Winner of the TIME OUT New York’s Most-Loved Restaurant Award 2016, the restaurant chefs will convert the winning entries into airline-friendly options to be tasted and voted on. “This is a very modern project so we love being part of it,” says Lia Comandatore, Owner of Bread®. “We are looking to open Bread® in China, so this partnership looks like destiny,”

China Southern Airlines has partnered with Nik Loukas and James Mellor of The Inflight Food Trip documentary. They are highlighting not just airlines but also the cabin crews, inflight caterers and general public that have experience or interactions with inflight meals. “This is something that has never been done before. By inviting the general public, China Southern Airlines will substantially upgrade the transparency surrounding airline food, where all decisions are typically made behind closed doors”, says Loukas.

Why does food taste different on the plane? Research in my lab and others suggests that loud environments can alter how we perceive the taste of foods, delivering them to us with a different profile than the chef intended.” says Professor Dando of Cornell University. In order to simulate this effect, China Southern has partnered with Sennheiser. Sennheiser’s superior quality headphones “channel the sound into your ear in a distinct way, making you imagine as if you were totally engulfed by sound,” says Stephanie Reichert, Director of Trade Marketing at Sennheiser. Attendees of the event will enter the taste-testing wearing Sennheiser headphones, creating a realistic and immersive experience for the taste-testers.

“China Southern Airlines started this campaign to directly engage with travelers and learn more about local flavors. Partnering with these companies for this event will allow us to provide a better inflight experience,” says Kevin Hou, General Manager at China Southern Airlines New York.