With no refrigerator and no freezer aboard the International Space Station, space cuisine is a bit of a challenge. Not that anyone's complaining -- the ambiance of orbital dining apparently more than compensates for lackluster meals. But astronauts have a few standby favorites as well as the occasional special treat.
Treat yourself to this sampling:
10. Japanese Takeout
The addition of Japan's laboratory to the space station not only provided a huge new module for science experiments, it also opened the orbital outpost to Japanese culture -- including a nice assortment of new beverages and foods. In 2008, the shuttle Endeavour astronauts were happy to serve as guinea pigs for a variety of new dishes, including negima (a Japanese beef and scallions dish), okonomi, tofu with hoisin sauce and udon noodles.
9. Swedish Meatballs
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray whipped up Swedish meatballs, a Thai chicken dish and vegetable curry for the crew of space shuttle Discovery in December 2006. It wasn't the first time a celebrity chef tried to perk up astronaut cuisine, though -- Emeril Lagasse's spicy green beans, which were among five dishes flown to the space station earlier that year, apparently held up well in zero-gravity.
8. Yogurt
Bone loss is a problem during long-duration spaceflights, so a calcium-rich food like yogurt is a popular menu choice. Astronauts can choose from blueberry-raspberry, peach and strawberry. The Russians go one better with garlic- and herb-studded cheeses. For the picky eater, there's always yogurt-covered granola bars.
7. Chicken Soup
Feeling a bit under the weather? There's no one to make chicken soup for rundown astronauts. The next best thing might be chicken consomme. Just add hot water and don't worry about using a spoon.
6. Tortillas
With a relatively long shelf life and few crumbs, tortillas are the bread of the space program. One of the favored fillings: good old peanut butter and jelly. On special occasions, astronauts have managed to bring up other yeasty specialties, including bagels (imported from the family bakery of Canadian-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff) and German pumpernickel bread.
