Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tells how our taste perceptions change when we get into zero gravity.
When we get into space, the food really does not have the taste we’re used to. And the reason is not in the food itself, but in the way our body functions.
It’s used to fighting gravity and pushing more blood to the head than it needs:
“Your head kind of inflates as if somebody squeezes the end of a balloon,” says Hadfield.
Without the gravity to draws the liquids down, the sinuses are clogged and you feel almost no taste.
This goes on for the first few days until the body adapts to the weightless state. Then things are balanced and the taste of the food is almost the same as on Earth.
In the video below the astronaut shows Canadian specialties delivered to the ISS with the private Dragon cargo ship – maple syrup, salmon pâté, pastries, and so on.
Dining time is important for the astronauts of the orbital station, explains Hadfield. Then they gather, talk about the things everyone is doing, try to relax and “share the human side” of the cosmos.
READ MORE: International Space Station (ISS) – Live Feed
