Much has been written about the ways altitude affects your sense of taste, but the only information you really need is contained in this video of Anthony Bourdain and Neil deGrasse Tyson, two heroes of our time, discussing astronauts’ hot-sauce cravings.
The snippet comes from a Season 5 episode of National Geographic’s astronomy-themed show StarTalk With Neil DeGrasse Tyson that aired last week, in which Bourdain and Tyson bond over shared stories and lessons about how space travel impacts the palate.
Chef and TV personality Bourdain, having worked with American astronaut Chuck Yeager while shooting an episode of Top Chef, reports that hot sauce is the number one taste astronauts crave when they’re in space. “Tabasco, or anything spicy, because up there everything tastes bland,” he says. “Your ability to perceive flavour, of course, changes at altitude.”
Tyson, the unofficial king of science, confirms the findings: “The astronauts I’ve spoken to say this, without hesitation, that they eagerly want spicy foods, and they find themselves visiting other national modules of the space station where the foods tend to be spicier than American foods.”
The astronauts I’ve spoken to say this, without hesitation, that they eagerly want spicy foods, and they find themselves visiting other national modules of the space station where the foods tend to be spicier than American foods.
The video landed one day after the series finale of Anthony Bourdain’s CNN series Parts Unknown season 12, his final hosting appearance before his tragic death earlier this year.
Take the lead of heat-seeking astronauts and load up on spicy food with the help of our recipe collection.
