‘Space tortilla?’ Video shows astronaut make one — as she grabs floating ingredients

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station recorded herself making a “tortilla” in microgravity, and the resulting concoction isn’t exactly what you’d call mouth watering.

Not only are Samantha Cristoforetti’s ingredients unrecognizable, but they’re seen floating around the kitchen.

And don’t dare call it a taco. When you’re a scientist floating 250 miles above the earth, it’s a “space tortilla,” station officials noted in an Oct. 16 Facebook post.

Cristoforetti’s recipe includes a slathering of green puree called leek cream, spoonfuls of quinoa, dried tomatoes that resemble ketchup and floating slivers of mackerel out of a silver bag.

Thousands of people have watched Cristoforetti’s culinary video on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), and most have suggestions on what to try next.

“Jalapeno peppers,” Diana Van Staalduijnen-Ruiz Gerling wrote.

“Is it possible to deep fry something in space?” Travis Tompkins asked.

“Maine lobster,” Bob Ka’pla said.

There’s actually a scientific reason for using tortillas in space, according to the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

“Bread is not allowed on the International Space Station. ... This is because it produces crumbs that become unmanageable when floating about the space station. The solution: Tortillas!” NASA says.

As for the odd ingredients, favorite foods “on Earth can taste terrible in space,” scientists say.

“The absence of gravity leads to congestion, even in perfectly healthy astronauts,” NASA says. “This congestion makes it difficult to smell acutely and causes food to taste different or rather bland. Because of this, astronauts often prefer foods with intense flavors, particularly sweet, salty, bitter, and particularly spicy.”

This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 10:45 AM.