Korean-American Astronaut Johnny Kim Makes a "Gochujang Burger"
at the ISS Using "100% Sun-dried Gochujang"
Earlier this month, Korean-American second-generation immigrant astronaut Johnny Kim (41), who departed for space, revealed that he made and ate a "gochujang burger" at the International Space Station (ISS), drawing attention. Even while performing his mission in space, he sought out the familiar spicy flavor.
Korean-American astronaut Johnny Kim is eating a gochujang burger made in space. Photo by Johnny Kim Instagram
On the 29th (local time), Johnny Kim introduced his creation on social media, saying, "Day 16 of the mission. After eating only combat rations, my creativity exploded." He presented a dish: a "gochujang burger," which is a Korean reinterpretation of the "Ranger Burger." The Ranger Burger refers to a simple hamburger made by U.S. soldiers from instant food, similar to Korea's "Gundaeria."
The "'Ranger Burger' with plenty of '100% Korean sun-dried gochujang'" that he introduced was made with "beef steak, whole wheat snack bread, cheese spread used as both a topping and adhesive, layers of potato au gratin in the middle, and a generous amount of gochujang taken from a gift package delivered by SpaceX's 32nd Cargo Dragon (resupply ship)." He said, "I recreated the burger that U.S. Army Rangers make in the field, but in a space style," adding, "The spicy gochujang brought a fresh boost to the space menu."
Korean-American astronaut Johnny Kim's gochujang burger made in space. Photo by Johnny Kim Instagram
In 2017, Johnny Kim was selected as one of the final 12 astronauts in NASA's recruitment process, overcoming odds of 1,600 to 1, with about 18,000 applicants. After undergoing training, he was officially selected in 2020, becoming the first Korean-American official NASA astronaut. Before that, after graduating high school in 2002, he began his military career as a member of the U.S. Navy special forces, receiving four medals including the Silver Star. After completing his military service, he entered the University of San Diego to study mathematics, and in 2016, he earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School and also worked at a hospital.
He arrived at the ISS on April 8 aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft with Russian astronauts. He is scheduled to stay at the ISS for an additional eight months, until December 9, carrying out scientific research and technology demonstration missions.
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