Japanese space food – “Delicious!” - video Dailymotion

The Manila Times

Japanese space food – “Delicious!”  Techniques for living in space continue to evolve, and astronauts have an expanding menu to choose from. In February 2021, the International Space Station enjoyed chicken-flavored space ramen and fried noodles developed by the Japanese manufacturer that had invented instant cup noodles in the past. We also visit a high school to hear about a 14-year class project to make canned mackerel space food. New types of space food – produced in a nation long known for the sophistication of both its technology and cuisine.  VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net  Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion  Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #TheManilaTimes #DailyNews #Japan #Space #InternationalSpaceStation #Food #Technology #Cuisine #Noodles

Transcript

00:00 [Music]

00:07 When astronaut Noguchi Soichi feels hungry on the International Space Station,

00:12 he often chooses ramen.

00:15 The Japanese manufacturer that invented instant ramen

00:21 developed a special version for use as space food.

00:28 Ramen is usually served in broth, which is a problem in zero gravity.

00:33 Water will only heat to 70 degrees Celsius up in space,

00:39 so we had to develop noodles that would cook properly at that temperature.

00:43 Of course, the most difficult thing was finding a way to stop the broth

00:46 flying everywhere as they eat it.

00:49 The solution was to thicken the broth so it would cling securely to the noodles

00:55 and not drift off in the weightless cabin.

00:58 And to make it easier to eat, the ramen comes in bite-sized portions.

01:02 Delicious!

01:06 The first ramen meals were sent into space in 2005.

01:11 The same makers went on to develop seven varieties of space food.

01:21 One was in answer to a request from Noguchi for his favourite, yakisoba fried noodles.

01:27 Japanese food manufacturers have developed a wide range of meals designed for space.

01:34 To be classified as Japanese space food,

01:37 these must meet the very strict standards set by JAXA,

01:40 the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

01:48 As well as these commercial offerings, a Japanese high school has also produced its own space food.

01:53 This is mackerel canned in a soy sauce broth.

01:56 Obama in Fukui is a city famous for mackerel.

02:02 Students here at Wakasa High School have been making canned mackerel as a class project.

02:08 The school has industrial quality manufacturing equipment for such classes

02:16 and hygiene management that meets world-class HACAP standards.

02:20 The students learn the details of HACAP certification from their teacher, Kosaka Yasuyuki.

02:31 I was telling them how HACAP was originally developed by NASA,

02:39 and my students came up with this plan to make cans of mackerel that we could send into space.

02:44 The whole project was their idea.

02:47 They began their project in 2007.

02:51 They soon found that it wasn't easy to make food that could be safely sent into space and still taste good.

03:01 We needed the right balance of stickiness and flavor.

03:07 Focusing only on making it sticky, we got a taste that wasn't so good,

03:11 but if we just went for taste, it didn't thicken as much as we needed.

03:15 After much trial and error, they developed a thick broth that wouldn't float off in zero gravity.

03:22 For the flavor, they learned that our sense of taste is weaker in space.

03:30 So they got lots of feedback from astronauts as they experimented with different intensities of seasoning.

03:37 The students who came up with the idea were highly enthusiastic,

03:41 but unfortunately couldn't complete the project before they graduated.

03:45 However, they left detailed research notes for the next class, so the project would continue.

03:53 In all, it would take 14 years before the school's space food was ready for launch.

04:04 Cans of Japanese space food from Wakasa High School have arrived at the space station.

04:11 Let's see how they taste.

04:18 Delicious!

04:24 I'm so happy to complete this project dreamed up years ago by earlier students in this class.

04:31 Japan is famed for its technical skills and its cuisine,

04:35 a combination that's making life more enjoyable for the astronauts who circle the Earth today.

04:40 [Music]

04:45 [Music fades]

04:47 [Silence]

04:53 [Mouse click]

04:54 [Bell ding]

04:55 [Silence]

Japanese space food – “Delicious!”

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