Dishes inspired by Italian food and wine culture and eaten in orbit by ESA astronauts arrive in Italian Embassies and Consulates abroad.
The Space Food Experience, a gastronomic format promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the occasion of the Italian National Space Day 2023, is kicking off.
It is a gastronomic journey to discover recipes created for space missions and inspired by the principles of nutrigenomics. Space Food Experience is a format developed in cooperation with Collectibus Società Benefit, a consultancy company specialising in sustainability, and EAT Freedom, a start-up with an Italian heart that produces ready-to-eat meals for athletes, adventure lovers and astronauts. The initiative is also being held with the participation of Altec, a Turin-based company that provides engineering services in support of the International Space Station.
The scheduled events are part of the initiatives organised for the Italian National Space Day 2023, which celebrates the beginning of Italy’s adventure in space, begun with the launch of the S. Marco 1 satellite on 16 December 1964. The first events on the agenda will take place in conjunction with the 8th Week of the Italian Cuisine in the World, an initiative organised annually by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the promotion of quality Italian cuisine and food products.
From early cubes and tubes, to modern “space meals” enjoyed by Paolo Nespoli, Luca Parmitano and Samantha Cristoforetti, EAT Freedom founder Sara Rocci Denis and chef Stefano Polato will organise gastronomic tours in the Italian Embassies and Consulates, with live shows recounting the history, studies and scientific research behind the creation of space food.
Combining gastronomy, science and nutrition, while placing special emphasis on the theme of environmental sustainability, the recipes will be created using innovative space food preparation and preservation techniques, including freeze-drying and thermal stabilisation.
Six appointments will be organised: following the inaugural event at the Italian Consulate in Zurich (15 November), Space Food Experience will visit the Italian Embassies in Tokyo (21 November), Seoul (23 November), Brussels (7 December), Paris (12 December) and London (15 December). Guests will be able to discover and taste recipes created favouring seasonal products, delicately processed to preserve their quality, taste and texture and developed to help the body respond better to the stressful conditions experienced during a mission in space.
Foto credits astronauti dell’ESA
