Noodles on Mars
21.08.2023 - 11:44
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
I read an anecdote (and it bothers me now that I can’t remember where) about a crew on the ISS who looked at the food supplies on board. They called down to Mission Control and said, “We have lots of packets of Grits in stock, but no one likes them. Can we just toss them out?”
(Grits being a staple of the American south, a type of porridge made from ground corn (maize)).
The response from Mission Control was that there were several Grits-loving astronauts on the next crew who were looking forward to eating them!
I’ve also read stories from simulated space missions here on Earth, in which crews ran out of their favourite foods early on and then had to chow down on their less preferred options for the rest of the mission.
That’s just human nature, I guess, and who hasn’t looked in the pantry and discovered something that has been forgotten and is approaching the end of its shelf life?
Ryan and I did just that last week and unearthed two stir-fry sauces and some dried wheat noodles. We go through phases where we stir-fry a lot, and then not for ages. I’m always amazed at how quickly it gets dinner on the table. But I think the issue lies in the stir-fry sauces; they tend to be a bit meh. When you’re shopping, it’s hard to remember which ones were good. Of our two, we liked the Amoy Teriyaki & Toasted Sesame Seeds and will buy some more. The Blue Dragon Hoi Sin & Garlic was edible, but not exciting.
For the first meal, we paired some leftover Martian crispy duck (I’ll tell you all about that one day) with a can of Tiger Tiger Chinese Stir-Fry Vegetables. It’s a mix of bamboo shoots, baby corn, carrots and water chestnuts. It’s not a commonly available brand in the UK. We pick up the occasional can in a local farm shop, but it’s