Crews from different countries eat together and often exchange food. For example, American astronauts like Russian cottage cheese in tubes and canned stewed lamb. To prepare most of the dishes, astronauts have to pour boiling water on a special powder and then use a straw to drink it or warm the can up in a special oven. Salt and pepper is packaged to be spread on food (spices are made in liquid form). Astronauts consume about 3,500 calories a day.