Belgian cuisine on the menu ... in space!
The International Space Station (ISS) crew will surely rejoice when Raphaël Liégeois arrives on board, as he’ll be bringing some specialties from the homeland with him.
Raphaël Liégeois is the third Belgian astronaut in aerospace history, after Dirk Frimout and Frank De Winne, and in 2026 he will be the first Belgian to bring endives with ham and cheese on board the ISS, along with Liège meatballs.
Astronauts can choose from hundreds of meals, you see, and they can bring so-called bonus foods for when there’s really something to celebrate. Raphaël wants to regale his colleagues with some fine Belgian classics.
It is a truly Belgian affair. The endive dish comes with Orval cheese and will be prepared by the Boechout (Antwerp)-based chef Wouter Keersmaekers. The Liège meatballs (with a sweet and sour sauce based on Liège syrup) is prepared by chef Frédéric Lambert.
As if we didn’t have enough reason to dream of going to space! Bon appétit to the lucky few in the ISS who will get to taste the final result.
Liégeois is currently slated to set off on his mission in August of 2026.