When I saw this pack of Space freeze-dried ice cream in my media kit, I was overwhelmed with joy. FINALLY! I get to have a taste of what space food is like.
Personally, I have seen this ready-to-eat Freeze-dried ice cream for astronauts sold at the Art Science museum in Singapore. However, they do not come cheap. Besides, they probably would not taste like the icy-cold ice cream which we are all accustomed to. Still, the flame of curiosity in space food has not yet extinguished in me.
Now that I could get my hands on this unconventional ice cream, I just couldn’t wait to tear the package apart and then share my short ‘space food exploration’ with you.
Introducing the Space ice cream Sandwich for Astronauts by LuvyDuvy
Even in space, the astronauts can still enjoy small earthly pleasures like this sweet treat. It might not resemble the true taste and texture of ice cream but it is after all made up of ingredients which are found in typical ice cream. The only difference is that this ice cream sandwich has been cooled and then freeze-dried.
How is this space ice cream made?
According to the packaging information, the actual ice cream sandwich is first frozen to -40 °c ( or -40 °F) and then vacuum dried. The freeze-drying process actually removes all the water and moisture to preserve the airy structure of the ice cream without letting it melt.
Based on the details printed on the packaging, these freeze-dried ice creams are developed for early Apollo space missions. And these space ice creams can last for about 3 years. Do you know that freeze-dried foods have a typical shelf-life of 3 to 35 years? Now, that’s mind-blowing!
How does it taste like?
With all the moisture removed, it’s like an ultra-light biscuit. The chocolate biscuit-like wafer layer itself is light, crunchy and airy. The same goes for the Neapolitan ice cream layer which texture resembles somewhat like a meringue. It reminds me of the crunchy honeycomb layer found in Cadbury Crunchie Milk Chocolate bars. It’s sweet and the flavours of the ice cream are all intact.
When I open the package, the ice cream sandwich are broken up into chunks. I guess it is probably due to the nature of such freeze-dried foods where its structure actually weakens during the manufacturing process.
It resembles Nestlé Vanilla Ice Cream sandwich.
It tastes very sweet, just as if it was made from a super-concentrated ice cream mixture.
Interestingly, it looks very much like Nestlé Vanilla Ice Cream sandwich. It also carries roughly the same amount of calories as Nestlé Vanilla Ice Cream sandwich. LuvyDuvy’s freeze-dried ice cream contains 150 calories while Nestlé Vanilla Ice Cream sandwich contains 160 calories. I personally have not tried Nestlé Vanilla Ice Cream sandwich but if given a choice, I would definitely go for the REAL ice cream.
This space ice cream is just a novelty treat which is fun to try out at least once in your lifetime. They actually make cool party treats or fun gifts for your family and friends. Would you try it?
