Experiment at ISS does “spatial miso” with beans; See how it was

One Experiment on board the International Space Station (ISS) produced folder miso which is believed to be the First deliberately fermented food – A feat that scientists expect to clarify the potential of life in space and Broad the culinary options for astronauts .

“Space Misso” presented a similar one to the preparation made on Earth. However, according to the researchers who experienced it, there was an essential difference: a more roasted flavor with nuts.

Scientists Maggie Coblentz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Joshua Evans of the Denmark Technical University, sent a small container with cooked soybean paste to ISS in March 2020, where it was left to ferment for 30 days before returning to the land already transformed into mission.

The revenue was stored in a container with sensors that closely monitored temperature, relative humidity, pressure and radiation, according to the article revised by pairs published in Iscian magazine This Wednesday (2).

Japanese cuisine would not be the same without preparation – but astronauts who want to use this soy -based basic food in space may have to get used to a difference in flavor.

As part of the experiment, two other lots of miso were fermented on earth for comparison – one in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and one in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“We didn’t know what to expect – fermentation had never been done before in space,” Evans, co -author of the study, told CNN .

“Space Misso was darker and clearly more agitated – which makes sense, as it traveled much more than the mise of the earth. It was exciting to smell and taste the first bite.”


The mixture of mission, made of soy, salt and koji, before being thrown into the space for fermentation

He explained that some environmental characteristics of space, especially microgravity and increased radiation, may have influenced the way microbes grow and metabolize, in turn impacting the fermentation process.

“Combining microbiology, flavors chemistry, sensory science and broader social and cultural considerations, our study opens new directions to explore how life changes when traveling to new environments such as space,” said Evans.

In addition, he stated that research can “improve astronaut’s well-being and performance” and “invite new forms of culinary expression, expanding and diversifying gastronomic and cultural representation in spatial exploration as this area grows”.

Missô, a fermented folder, is the basis of many soups, sauces and marinated. Each region of Japan has its own special recipe.

It is traditionally made with soy soy, water, salt and koji (a type of fungus), and takes about six months to develop its characteristic umami flavor, which intensifies with fermentation time.

Many fermented foods contain probiotic, living microorganisms that, when ingested, can act in conjunction with the beneficial bacteria of the intestinal microbiome, helping to regulate the digestive system.

However, Evans said that further analyzes are needed to evaluate the nutritional value of spatial miso, including its macromolecular composition and the presence of bioactive compounds.

Coblentz, also co -author of the study, pointed out that the fermentation of miso in ISS demonstrates “the potential of life existed in space,” by showing how a microbial community can thrive outside the earth.

Scientists have long been experiencing the cultivation and harvesting of fresh food in space, including various types of lettuce and radishes. In 2021, ISS even hosted a club party to celebrate the harvest of the first peppers cultivated outside the earth.

A Japanese company is also producing a special version of fermented sake in space. Asahi Shuzo, manufacturer of the popular Dassai brand, paid Japan’s aerospace exploration agency for access to the Kibo Experimental Module, part of ISS, to conduct tests.

The company is also developing space fermentation equipment, with a planned launch for 2025.

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This content was originally published in an experiment on ISS does “spatial miso” with beans; See how it was on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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