This term is used to refer to disposable dishes for hot meals as part of meals on board an aircraft. In a broader sense, a tap is a portion of the meal that is fed during long flights.
The word cassette has long been used among aviation workers. It is primarily used by flight attendants and catering staff at airports. This hot food packaging is currently used not only for providing meals on the plane, but also for other modes of transport.
Cassettes are produced from aluminum or foil-coated cardboard. The most common aluminum trays, since they do not emit harmful substances when heated, they are environmentally friendly and suitable for recycling. Porcelain tableware can be used for serving in business class.
Onboard food in cassettes is loaded onto the aircraft in chilled or frozen form. During the flight, flight attendants heat them up in special electric ovens and serve them to passengers on trays along with drinks and cold snacks.
Since the food on the plane involves some choice of food, and all the cassettes look the same on the outside, color coding is applied. After packing the portions, small stickers are applied to the lid. A yellow sticker, for example, indicates a chicken dish, while a blue sticker indicates a fish meal. Also, on the cover of the cassette, the logo of the airline or the airport kitchen factory can be applied.