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Space

Miso paste made in space opens a new frontier for fermented foods

A fermentation experiment on the International Space Station produced miso paste with a flavour distinct from two samples that were fermented on Earth

By James Woodford

29 February 2024

A sample of miso paste that was fermented on the International Space Station

Courtesy of Joshua D. Evans

An experiment on board the International Space Station (ISS) has produced miso paste in what is thought to be the first deliberate food fermentation ever conducted off Earth.

Miso is an umami-rich paste from Japan made from fermented soya beans, with origins stretching back thousands of years. Joshua Evans at the Technical University of Denmark and his colleagues say it could “satisfy astronauts’ need for flavour” on long space missions.

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