A crew member of the Shenzhou-20 and -21 manned space flight mission enjoys the first-ever space barbecue that took place recently aboard China's orbiting Tiangong Space Station. Photo: Screenshot from a video

Nearly three months after returning Earth, Chen Dong, commander of Chinese Shenzhou-20 mission, still fondly recalls the flavorful roasted chicken wings enjoyed in space and the sweet moments shared with his five crewmates from the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions abord the Tiangong space station. He shared these moments in a recent China Central Television (CCTV) interview aired on Monday. 

Before returning, all six taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 and -21 missions enjoyed a special "space barbecue" in the space station using new equipment - a hot-air roaster. Chen said they placed marinated chicken wings into the roaster, "and we six just gathered around, staring at the chicken wings." 

"The chicken wings sizzled with oil, tender and juicy, with an amazing aroma. It was like eating the legendary immortal ginseng fruit from Chinese mythology - I ate them so fast that I barely had time to savor the taste before they were gone," Chen recalled.

Are space-roasted wings the same as those on Earth? Chen smiled, "Absolutely not."

"On Earth, the grease drips off the wings nonstop. In space, the oil coats the surface evenly, so every bite is perfectly balanced in flavor. Of course, sharing the meal together, chatting as a crew of six, also made the experience even more wonderful," he said in the CCTV program.

Netizens flooded the comments section of the video clip circulating on Sina Weibo with mouth‑watering emojis, jokingly suggesting the taikonauts take up a "space mukbang side hustle" as their reactions "just making us so hungry," one netizen wrote.

Another netizen commented: "I want to go space tourism in my lifetime and try the new cuisine of our great food‑loving nation - space cuisine!"

Some also said with pride, "When the oil from the space‑roasted wings evenly coats the golden skin in weightlessness, it is not only a feast for the taste buds, but also a romantic leap for China's space program from mere survival to genuine living, from catching up with the stars to bringing the warmth of ordinary life to outer space."

Space enthusiasts globally celebrated the first-ever space barbecue that took place aboard China's orbiting Tiangong space station using the country's newly introduced space oven in a video released in November 2025. After grilling for just 28 minutes, taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 and -21 crew had their chicken wings ready to enjoy, along with some black peppered steaks.

Chen said in the CCTV interview that they had five to six kinds of food to choose from in the space station, including wings, steaks and ingredients of bread. "As our storage conditions gradually improve and our large refrigerator carry more frozen food, we will be able to upgrade our meals much more often," he noted. 

The three Shenzhou-20 crewmates - Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie - made their first official public appearance in January in Beijing after returning safely to Earth by "transferring" to the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. They briefed the press on the emergency response process after discovering a window crack caused by an unexpected hit by space debris, and showed how China's manned space program made it all possible in just 20 days.

Global Times