How fungi can help feed future space colonies

This post is part of "Boldly Growing," a new Science of Fiction series about the future of food production and gastronomy.

The science fiction series The Expanse works hard to paint a realistic picture of what a future space-based society could look like — including what spacefarers will eat. Belters, the lanky, low gravity-adapted humans who live inside asteroids and space stations scattered across the outer solar system, are highly resourceful when it comes to finding calories. They use giant solar mirrors to grow crops on Jupiter's moon Ganymede and grow meat in vats, likely using advanced stem cell technology. But the staple of Belter cuisine, a dish somewhat demeaningly referred to as Belter kibble, stars another kingdom of life entirely: Fungi.

That's no accident. According to mushroom growers and scientists designing future foods for astronauts, there are a lot of good reasons why fungi might make an important contribution to spacefaring humans' diets, from their nutritional profile to their ability to grow quickly in dark, confined spaces.

Mushrooms are "really interesting for space production," Andrew Carter, CEO of the high-tech mushroom growing company Smallhold, told The Science of Fiction. "You can ramp up production really quickly. If you have a failure, getting your mycelium running is way faster than growing a crop again." Mycelium refers to the vegetative part of a fungus, as opposed to the fruiting bodies or mushrooms.