JAKARTA - Who says astronauts can't enjoy delicious food made by Michelin-starred chefs while on the International Space Station (ISS)?
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, as well as the commander of the ISS, has just uploaded a video of the only kitchen in orbit. Pesquet said that space travelers can actually enjoy a fairly decent meal.
"Kitchen on the ISS! I was so excited to receive my favorite dishes that I made a video about them, and I took this opportunity to explain to you how we eat in space," Pesquet tweeted as quoted by Digital Trends, Friday, October 8.
"Food! I was so excited about the arrival of my food that I made a video about it."
La cuisine dans l'ISS ! J'étais tellement heureux de recevoir mes plats préférés que j'en ai fait une vidéo, et j'en profite pour vous expliquer comment on se nourrit dans l'espace 🍲Food! I was so happy about the arrival of my food that I made a video about it. pic.twitter.com/dBOL5eN5gX
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) October 7, 2021
Pesquet got the food shipments when he asked renowned Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx before leaving for the ISS if he would like to send some dishes into space for the ISS crew to enjoy.
Marx took the opportunity, and worked with physical chemistry researcher Raphaël Haumont to create mouth-watering delights such as beef bourguignon, einkorn risotto, and crêpes Suzette. For the record, on Earth, all three recipes usually use alcohol, but since this isn't allowed on the ISS, the chef doesn't add that ingredient.
Aware of the importance of astronauts' health during long-term space missions, chefs pay close attention to the salt, fat and sugar content of the dish.
"You have to look at astronauts as high-level sportsmen. Thomas will be locked up there for six months and weight gain is not an option," said Marx recently.
Pesquet describes the special dish, which is kept in a tin, as a party meal that is usually kept to be shared among the crew on weekends, when the astronauts make a special effort to enjoy a meal together, or when it's someone's birthday.
Meanwhile, NASA also has a long-term partnership with world-renowned French chef Alain Ducasse to create delicious dishes for consumption in space.
In order for the astronauts to enjoy space food, the chefs tried to pack more flavor and spice into the dish than they would normally do for diners living on Earth. That's because in outer space, the sense of taste disappears because nasal congestion due to body fluids floats more freely under conditions of microgravity.
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