Improve US Combat Rations both in WW2 and After

[Cryhavoc101]

The MRE pizza is ok, but outstanding effort to make something like that actually taste like pizza, and be shelf stable for years.

Yes the science that went into it was quite interesting

 

[Father Maryland]

US rations?
Wot no tea!
Primitive savages.
You can keep an active Section going unfed for at least three days as long as they can brew up regularly. Hot tea can maintain morale better than cold rations.

BTW British beer is brewed to be served at cellar temperature not room temperature I.e. cool, so that you can taste it. Not freezing cold like the USA fear that the customers will taste their product........

Unless things have changed in the last 30 or so years the ratio of ration swaps of British for US rations was 3 US for 1 British since WW2.

I will say this about my countries shittiest beer ( Milwaukees best, PBR, coors lite, bud lite and the like.

At least their not IPAs.

 

[Driftless]

I will say this about my countries shittiest beer ( Milwaukees best, PBR, coors lite, bud lite and the like.

At least their not IPAs.

Agreed on the major brands - variations on carbonated water..... However, I think the US has some mighty fine small brewery beers, representing the whole spectrum of world types. Seek and ye shall find..

 

[Father Maryland]

Agreed on the major brands - variations on carbonated water..... However, I think the US has some mighty fine small brewery beers, representing the whole spectrum of world types. Seek and ye shall find..

Like I said quite literally anything is better then IPA's. I joke they taste like liquid Communism. A single sip brings you back to the Breznev era.

 

[Ijon Tichy]

Like I said quite literally anything is better then IPA's. I joke they taste like liquid Communism. A single sip brings you back to the Breznev era.

I love IPAs (I'm off Guinness until the pubs reopen, which is one for the "who knows when" file).

 

[edgeworthy]

I recall watching a program some years back about 'modern' US MREs and the people that developed it asked what the troops really wanted

Bread - was the answer - so they developed a long lasting bread that was sealed in a self heating package - basically it cooked the bread when activated - so the troops would have fresh bread

I have no idea if it was any good - but I cannot imagine the process to allow the product to last would have made it the best bread!

The Germans solved the problem by issuing Black Bread in a can.
(Its shelf life is months as opposed to days)
The British solution was to introduce the Soyer Stove that could make bread in the Field.
(In use for over 120 years, and still kept in store just in case. If you pay attention carefully the cook in Zulu is using one.)

 

[Driftless]

Has the US military ever offered Boston Brown Bread (it's sold in cans) as a food option? It's pretty tasty.

 

[Rickshaw]

The Germans solved the problem by issuing Black Bread in a can.
(Its shelf life is months as opposed to days)
The British solution was to introduce the Soyer Stove that could make bread in the Field.
(In use for over 120 years, and still kept in store just in case. If you pay attention carefully the cook in Zulu is using one.)

Having served in the Australian Army I well remember the Soya Stoves - having to light them at 5:00am every morning required skill and perseverance I can assure you. We mainly used them for dish cleaning - hot water to clean your dixies after a meal - a not inconsequential act in itself, I can assure you. Our cooks usually used to cook on M59 cookers - petrol fired stoves.

 

[M79]

Like I said quite literally anything is better then IPA's. I joke they taste like liquid Communism. A single sip brings you back to the Breznev era.

Given that the purpose was to have British beer that could keep from England to India in the era before refrigeration the extremes they were prepared to go to were probably pretty impressive. What we will do for a taste of home when stationed abroad.

 

[Father Maryland]

Given that the purpose was to have British beer that could keep from England to India in the era before refrigeration the extremes they were prepared to go to were probably pretty impressive. What we will do for a taste of home when stationed abroad.

It does help if you create a product that tastes so utterly terrible that going rancid might quite possibly improve the taste.

Basically go for the absolute complete and total bottom from the start and you'll find it can't actually degrade.

 

[marathag]

Has the US military ever offered Boston Brown Bread (it's sold in cans) as a food option? It's pretty tasty.

Vietnam era MCI, the 'improved' C-Ration of WWII

​

Meal, Combat Individual (12/case)​
B-1 Unit (4/case) ​	B-2 Unit (4/case) ​	B-3 Unit (4/case) ​	Accessory Pack (12/case) ​
Turkey Loaf	Ham and Lima Beans	Beef, Spiced with Sauce	Spoon, Plastic
Ham, Fried (sliced)	Meat Balls with Beans in Tomato Sauce	Ham and Eggs, Chopped	Salt
Chicken and Noodles	Beans, with Frankfurter Chunks in Tomato Sauce	Pork Steak	Pepper
Beef Steak	Beef Slices and Potatoes with Gravy	Chicken, Boned	Coffee, Instant
	Spaghetti and Meatballs (variant)	Meat Loaf (variant)	Sugar
Fruit (1/meal) Applesauce Fruit Cocktail Peaches Pears	Dessert (1/meal) Fruit Cake Pecan Roll Pound Cake	Cookies (4) Cocoa Beverage Powder Jam Apple Berry / Mixed Fruit Grape Strawberry	Creamer, Non-Dairy
Crackers (7) Peanut Butter Candy Disc, Chocolate (1/meal) Solid Chocolate Chocolate Cream Chocolate Coconut	Crackers (4) Cheese Spread, Processed Caraway Pimento	Bread, White	Chewing Gum, 2 Chicklets
			Cigarettes (4/pack) Camel Chesterfield Kent Kool Lucky Strike Marlboro Pall Mall Salem Winston
			Matches, Moisture Resistant
Accessory Pack	Accessory Pack	Accessory Pack	Toilet Paper