The Best Airline Food : Turkish Airlines

Airline food has a reputation for being bad, but not all of it is terrible. According to a survey, Turkish Airlines has the best airline food.

The survey, coordinated by the flight comparison site Skyscanner, asked a panel of international travelers to judge airline food based on presentation and taste. They chose Turkish Airlines as having the best in-flight food, beating out 18 other airlines around the world. The airline's cuisine earned a score of 86 percent, putting it at the top of the list for the second year in a row.

"We are honored to have been chosen as the winners of 'Best In-Flight Food' by Skyscanner," said Turkish Airlines President and CEO, Temel Kotil, Ph.D. in a press release "Our goal has always been to provide passengers with a luxurious experience in the skies, and we are proud to offer an assortment of savory gourmet options to all of our customers."

Turkish Airlines offers passengers gourmet menu items which they rotate regularly. Some dishes represent the Turkish culture such as Turkish meatballs, stuffed eggplant, caprese salad, and walnut pear tarts. They also have meals catered to everyone's taste, such as Kosher meals, kid's meals, vegetarian, and seafood options.

Part of the reason that Turkish Airline's food scored so high is that it is prepared with fresh ingredients. The presentation isn't bad either. Those who fly on long transoceanic flights are served by Flying Chefs who give professional support to the cabin crew during meal preparation.

Not only does the airline provide restaurant-quality cuisine on their flights, but they also create special menus for holidays and special occasions. For instance, around Valentine's day, the airline offered chocolates and cupcakes as part of their special holiday menu.

Getting the award for best cuisine isn't the only honor that Turkish Airlines has received. The four-star airline with a fleet on 179 aircrafts has received awards for its catering. In 2011, they were chosen as the "Best Airline Europe" and in 2010, they were was given the Skytrax designation of "World's Best Economy Class On-board Catering"