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No battle was ever won on an empty stomach. According to historians, one Roman legion had to consume 120 sheep a day for their meat ration, crusaders would recharge on dry meat and grain, while Napoleon’s soldiers spent most of their time desperately hungry.

But fast forward to the modern day and we see a whole different story. Neatly packaged and super-compact, military food rations are an easy way to provide that much-needed nutrition. But it turns out, every country has its own take on front-line dining. Thanks to one Youtuber named David Hong, who tried a variety of MREs from different countries, we now know what exactly army troops’ taste buds can expect when they open one. And surprisingly, some look better than my dinner ever has.

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#1

Russia

Russia

Apple sauce; Pea stew; Meatball; Bacon in fat; Crackers; Rice with peas and meat; Cheese spread; Carrot and potato substance

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#2

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Muesli oats with milk; Sports drink, coffee and tea; Candy; Cranberry cereal bar; Fruit cake; Vegetarian pasta; Oatmeal cookie and hazelnut spread; Tomato pasta salad; Salted nuts

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#3

Italy

Italy

Breakfast: Biscuits; Chocolate; Jelly; Spoon; Coffee; Sugar; Salt. Lunch: Tortellini; Beef; Fruit salad; Biscuits; Coffee. Supper: Crackers; An entry bar; Tuna; Soup

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Bored Panda reached out to David Hong, a Youtuber behind the series of videos that revealed what’s inside these military food rations. It turns out, David is also an artist in the furry fandom and Warhammer Horus Heresy project, which recently became his main focus.

The thirty-year-old Youtuber started out back in 2011 and his channel was mainly about blogging and gaming. ”I never have thought it would be an MRE Review Channel since I first opened a US MRE ration that I bought from an expat living in my country,” he recounted.

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#4

France

France

Terrine forestiere; Crackers; Chocolate, nougat and candy; Muesli, oats and fruits; Instant tomato soup; Braised ham; Crozets et diots

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iajdini avatar
Bardhi's Dad
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would gladly serve in french army. Especially if you compare it with than Yugoslavian army where I served more than 30 years ago

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#5

Germany

Germany

Hazelnut pudding; Rindfleischlyoner grob; Pea stew with mettwurstchen; Hackfleischrollchen with rice; Muesli, oats milk and fruits; Roggenschrotbrot; Cranberry cereal bar; Roggenschrotbrot; Dark chocolate; Crackers


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chi-weishen avatar
chi-wei shen
Community Member
4 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A few translations: Rindfleischlyoner grob: rough Bologna style sausage made of beef; Mettwürstchen: small strongly flavoured sausage made from raw minced pork; Hackfleischröllchen: small minced meat rolls; Roggenschrotbrot: coarse-grained rye bread;

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#6

Canada

Canada

Hot chocolate; Orange drink; Coffee; Coffee creamer; Banana flavoured oatmeal cereal; Bread; Sliced apples; Baked beans; Ketchup; Peanut butter; Strawberry jam

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m2crows avatar
Mike Crow
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve had many of these when is was an aside Cadet and in basic training when I joined the Canadian Forces. Some of the entries were better than others but I never got the baked beans.

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But it turns out, David isn’t connected to any military himself. “This question comes up due to the fact that MREs can only be had if provided by the army, or bought from a commissary in a base.” He explained that this isn’t the case anymore because military rations are now available publicly. 

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It’s hard to say which food ration was David’s fave since “every ration is unique to the taste and culture of their corresponding nation.” Having said that, he loved “the Russian IRP because it offers the most protein of all the MREs I had. The pork fat or sowbelly is probably the oddest choice in it; it tastes like bacon when you mix it with the rice included.”

Other nice treats included meatballs that “feel and taste realer than manufactured ones that are soggy and bland” and crackers that “are great to snack on, dunking it in the sauces of the entrees is heavenly.”

#7

Croatia

Croatia

Biscuits with pepper; Salt crackers; Chocolate; Pineapple; Papaya; Turkey pate; Liver spread; Sardines Beans; Coffee taffy's; Orange drink; Tea; Beef soup

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#8

U.S.

U.S.

Marble pound cake; Skittles; Grape flavor energy drink; Crackers; Chili; Macaroni

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#9

Poland

Poland

Tea; Coffee; Chicken casserole; Hardtack; Hard candies; Stick of gum; Honey; Condensed milk ; Pepper; Salt; Raisins

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Moreover, David believes that “the entrees in the Russia IRP are the best seasoned,” which means you don’t need to add salt or pepper. “The mini stove is also very cute when warming the entrees within their containers, as a civilian, I feel like camping when using it,” he added.

The Youtuber, who is originally from the Philippines, also told us about the time he tried living on “twenty-four colon-blocking [army ration] flavors to choose from.” It may sound fun, but in reality, “It is quite a fattening and a constipating endeavor as a civilian with moderate exercise, the amount of calories in each pack is designed for soldiers.”

#10

Lithuania

Lithuania

Drink; Chicken soup; Hazelnuts; Crackers; Chocolate; Chicken and rice


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ebony1k124 touch
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks decent but i would pour some of the soup over the chicken and rice to rescue it a bit.

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#11

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Biscuits; Tea bag; Jam; Pate; Squash; Rice; Corned beef with soup

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#12

Ukraine

Ukraine

Breakfast: Iced tea; Biscuits; Rice with beef; Wipes.
Lunch: Spoon and tissue paper; Pate; Pork; Drink; Sugar.
Supper:Biscuits;Tuna;Pate;Iced tea;Sugar


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Not only can the MREs truly be fattening since they’re packed with calories, they can also get dull easily. “Once you already cycled through the menus as they can have the same desserts or spreads in consecutive packs.”

All in all, David wouldn’t recommend relying on MREs as a quick meal even for an athlete because “they can really throw off your diet and bowels.”

#13

Spain

Spain

Tuna; Mix fruits; Beef and peas; Instant vege soup; Pate

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#14

China

China

Cake; Fruit; Rice; Sausage; Hot Sauce


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ebony1k124 touch
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rice and sausage looks like it may be a lil hard to swollow. It fell victim to the "evaporation fairy" that is known to suck all moisture and flavor out of MRE's or Equivalents.

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