The space environment may impart a unique taste of space on foods fermented there. For miso, that led to a nuttier, more roasted flavor, according to a new study.
Researchers have successfully fermented miso on the International Space Station (ISS), proving that the microbes responsible for that savory umami sauce can harmonize in microgravity. If we are ever to achieve sustained human life on lunar bases, space stations or missions to other planets, the ability to grow food and medicine via fermentation will be a welcome logistics hack. McKenzie Prillaman brings the cosmic culinary scoop for SN.
🦠 Microgravity mold
To test the viability of space-based fermented food, researchers sent soybeans and a fungus-dosed rice called kōji to the ISS to undergo a 30-day fermentation process. The scientists compared the space-grown miso to control samples fermented on Earth, utilizing DNA sequencing and chemical profiling. The study revealed that while the space miso had a similar microbial composition to its Earthly counterpart, it possessed a distinct chemical signature and a unique, savory flavor profile, potentially influenced by radiation or microgravity. These findings suggest that the environment beyond Earth can be leveraged as a variable to create novel tastes, paving the way for sustainable, long-term food systems that provide both nutrition and culinary variety for future astronauts.
🚀 The race for space food
On earth, biotech pioneers have been grappling for decades with the constraints of a changing planet: limited land, water and air.
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