'Space Miso' Tastes Good, But Researchers Claim ISS-Made Batch Is Different From Earth Miso—Why?

New research has confirmed that it is possible to ferment food and other products in space, with their latest study focusing on creating a "Space Miso" right in the International Space Station.

The experiment yielded a miso that was revealed to have "good taste" but is incomparable to the miso made right here on the planet, as it had a distinct smell and taste to it that is different from the one made on Earth.

Space Miso Tastes Good, But Different From Earth-Made

Researchers from the United States and Denmark have collaborated in studying a possible fermentation procedure in the International Space Station, and according to their latest press release, it can be done. In the study, the researchers sent miso paste ingredients to the ISS back in March 2020 including cooked soybeans, rice koji, and salt.

The team instructed the ISS astronauts to ferment the mix of these ingredients for 30 days while creating Earth-made batches of the same ingredients in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The researchers monitored the environmental conditions of the various setups, and space miso samples were sent to the planet after a month.

The result? Researchers claim that the space miso tasted good, and it has a distinct nuttier and more roasted flavor compared to the regular versions.

ISS-Made Miso: The Factors Affecting Its Taste

However, while the ISS-made miso tasted good, it is not as great as the one fermented right here on the planet based on their control batches.

According to the study, the team claimed that its fermentation on the low-Earth orbit (LEO) where it was exposed to microgravity and increased radiation could be the reason behind its different taste. These factors "could have impacts" on how the space miso's microbes grew and metabolized, ultimately affecting its fermentation process, thus a different taste.

International Space Station Experiments

Humans may have already made history by reaching the Moon, there are still questions about longevity in such places. While no one has ever been made to stay on the lunar surface to try and cultivate life, astronauts and scientists have done these experiments in space, with China's Tiangong Space Station successfully growing rice seedlings in orbit.

On the other hand, NASA, its astronauts, and other collaborators were able to grow the first fruit inside the ISS almost four years ago, hatch chile peppers. The crew planted, cultivated, and harvested these hatch chile peppers right on the Plant Habitat-04 back in 2021, making it the first harvest of their experiment, which allowed them to feast on "space tacos."

Of course, food are not the only experiments happening aboard the ISS under NASA and its partner nations' space agencies, and one of the top things they study is how microgravity affects life.

As the ISS faces decommissioning at the start of the next decade, there are still many experiments done to help contribute to human knowledge in various subjects, especially with food.