Nosh Sprout

Nosh Sprout is a cold-tolerant agricultural plant that yields Nosh Bean when matured. It appears both as a wild plant in Rust Biomes and as a domestic crop that can be planted on Planter Boxes, Farm Tiles, and Hydroponic Farms. Each mature plant produces 12 Nosh Bean per harvest and is the primary source for recipes such as Tofu, Spicy Tofu, and Curried Beans. Nosh Bean itself is inedible raw but is processed into cooked foods or crushed into Brackene; it is also used in several non-food production chains (see usage notes below).

Nosh Sprout growth and environmental requirements are specific: the plant requires a temperature range of -25 °C to 0 °C, an atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide, and an air pressure between 25 g and 10 kg. A wild Nosh Sprout takes 84 cycles to grow, while a domesticated Nosh Sprout planted in a suitable farm building matures in 21 cycles and still yields 12 beans. Domestic cultivation requires 5 kg/cycle Dirt as fertilizer and an irrigation supply of 20 kg/cycle Ethanol. Nosh Bean can be obtained by harvesting domestic plants, uprooting them, or by digging up Buried Objects in a Rust Biome.

Nosh Sprout has favorable water efficiency compared to Sleet Wheat when converted into finished calories. When processed into Tofu and related dishes, the plant’s effective calorie-per-kilogram-of-water ratios compare favorably because Nosh Sprout irrigation is handled through an Arbor Tree setup that uses 8.333 kg of polluted water per cycle per plant; when accounting for the food recipes, Nosh Sprout yields higher calories per kilogram of water than Sleet Wheat under the example conversions provided.

Practical notes for planning and usage:

• Each harvest yields 12 Nosh Bean. Nosh Bean does not spoil while planted, allowing harvested plants to be left in place to preserve beans indirectly; harvested beans still follow normal spoilage rules if stored in the open.
• Per-plant calorie math (domesticated, 21-cycle growth): converting beans into Tofu nets 2 Tofu (3,600 kcal) per 12 beans; Spicy Tofu nets 2 Spicy Tofu (4,000 kcal); Curried Beans nets 3 Curried Beans (15,000 kcal). These conversions determine how many plants are needed per duplicant for sustained food supply.
• Wild plants are four times slower than domesticated ones, so expecting ~4× the number of wild plants per duplicant is necessary if relying on wild growth.
• Nosh Bean recipes: Tofu is produced in the Microbe Musher using 6 Nosh Bean + 50 kg water = 3,600 kcal Tofu. Spicy Tofu is produced on a Gas Range by combining 3,600 kcal Tofu + 1 Pincha Peppernut = 4,000 kcal Spicy Tofu. Curried Beans are produced on a Gas Range from 4 Nosh Bean + 4 units of another ingredient = 5,000 kcal Curried Beans (recipe inputs may vary by available cuisine).
• Non-food uses include: ingredient for Grubfruit Preserve on the Electric Grill, input to produce Rocketeer Spice in the Spice Grinder, and use as fuel in Sugar Engines. Nosh Bean can also feed certain critters; since the February 2024 QoL update, Pacu can consume 1 unit/cycle.
• Acquisition constraints: if the chosen asteroid lacks a Rust Biome there is no natural source of Nosh Bean other than any initial seeds; plan colony type and exploration accordingly.

Plant Nosh Sprout where you can maintain its cold CO2 environment and set up ethanol irrigation and Dirt fertilization for efficient domestic production. Use domestic farms to shrink growth time from 84 to 21 cycles and to reliably supply the high-calorie processed foods that make Nosh Sprout a competitive crop in low-temperature colonies.