India, Jan. 26 -- One of the reasons why train travel is so popular is that the journey to the destination is often just as memorable as reaching it. Views from the passenger car often linger in our memory, and more often than not, so does the food.

Many passengers assume that train food comes from prepackaged sources, but the meal arriving at your train seat or table could have been prepared hours earlier at a commissary or even cooked to order by a chef onboard. Train dining has significantly evolved from the era of vending machine snacks. Now, rail operators invest in specialized equipment, source from local suppliers, and develop menus months in advance.

Here's how food is cooked on board trains.

Freshly cooked meals on Amtrak Per...