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Kimchi in Space
rtknox00 writes "For astronauts spending months in space, the smallest touch of home can make a big difference. So when South Korea's first astronaut Ko San boards the International Space Station this April he'll be bringing along a hefty supply of kimchi, the national dish of his native country. While bringing a cherished food on a long journey might seem like a simple act, taking kimchi into space required millions of dollars in research and years of work." Science may never get Thorramatur in orbit.
They tried this awhile ago. You can't have carbonated beverages in a near-weightless environment because belching would result in vomiting up your food. As a result, the Coke had to be flat. Basically, it tasted really nasty and they've not tried it since that I know of.
Not always. I've had several kinds of Kimchi with no cabbage in them whatsoever.
End of line..
Well, because it is extremely expensive to put anything into orbit. You want to make sure that it won't cause problems.
For example:
- Will the air filters handle the aromatic chemicals given off? You can't just open the windows.
- Will it survive the g-forces of liftoff?
- What is the shelf life? How perishable is it?
- Does it break down easily for the sanitation system?
- Will it react with other things?
- Is it easy to prepare and eat in microgravity?
- Does the smell annoy other astronauts and reduce their productivity?
When it costs millions (billions?) to send things into orbit, these aren't trivial questions.
Yes, if you are looking for a "Western Food" analog that would get everybody to understand quickly.
There's one HUGE difference though, kimchee is not typically cooked when it's made, whereas sauerkraut is cooked. Both are fermented I think it's the same micro-biology that does it though. And kimchee has at least garlic, usually hot spices, ginger and FISH SAUCE (fermented juice from preserved fish) in it. I use the purified form of the latter, along with usually one or two cans of drained and crushed anchovies for flavor.
The cool part is that the vitamins in the kimchee stay intact, so you get the vitamin C that was in there along with what is created during fermentation. So if you are in an agrarian society and need a supply of vitamins for the winter, kimchee works well. If you have gut problems it will overwhelm whatever bugs are ailing you, and it gets a slow moving gut running like a well-oiled shotgun if you need that.
For the uninitiated, kimchee is rather offensive stuff. But properly made home-made kimchee is a comfort food that does wonders. I go from cranky and anxious to happy and relaxed with a few mouth fulls of the stuff. I need to make another batch, am on my last jar come to think of it.
Don't most cultures? Look at the 'immigrant' debate in the US....
You mean the illegal immigrant debate?
I haven't heard much debate about legal immigrants.
> There's one HUGE difference though, kimchee is not typically cooked when it's made, whereas sauerkraut is cooked.
Sauerkraut is not cooked, when it is made, for exactly the reasons you cited in kimchi.
"Between strong and weak, between rich and poor [...], it is freedom which oppresses and the law which sets free"
Some non-cabbage based kimchi is okay but we should never let the Swedes send up Surströmming. That stuff is like a biological weapon.
I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
I wonder why no-one is talking about the wonderful thorramatur mentioned in the summary (some examples on the wiki page). Sour lumps of fat, ram's balls, urinated sharks, the list is lovely. Fortunately we only have to eat this once a year, with large amounts of brennivín, which is not drinkable unless consumed with the otherwise unedible food specimens spoken of before.
I guess every country has its own favourite unedible food.
Bro, there is only Korean and North Korea
Indeed. Being half-Korean myself I know the joys of kimchi but I know it's also rather a large leap for most Western palettes. What I've found works well, when I introduce folks to Korean food, is to start with good old Korean BBQ, like bulgogi and kalbi. That usually goes over very well and opens up people to want to explore Korean food further. I of course do have kimchi on the table, since it is unique to Korean food. But I also put a little bowl of water on the table. Many people find it easier to try kimchi if they first dip it in the water to wash it off... it's not so stout on the first try. It's how my mother introduced me to kimchi, and how I introduced my wife and my kids (as well as many friends). Works well.