In Videos: Chefs Taste Test Military 'Meals, Ready to Eat'
The Salt Lake Tribune thought it would be fun to get top Utah chefs to taste test military MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat) and capture their priceless expressions on film. The result is about three minutes of chefs unhappily poking at lumpy piles in various shades of brown that are meant to taste like familiar dishes, such as "pork rib" or "cheese and vegetable omelet," but taste more like Spam and nitrates.
Of course, accuracy of flavor isn't the military's highest concern when formulating a product that "has to be able to withstand an airdrop from thousands of feet, last in storage at temperatures of 100 degrees for six months, and sate the ravenous hunger of—and provide a full day's worth of calories for—a U.S. Marine, for example, after a hard day at war," but it's still amusing. Watch the pained faces of the chefs, after the jump.
Chefs Taste Test Military 'Meals, Ready to Eat'
Related
Meal, Ready to Eat [Wikipedia]
The Serious Eats Hot Chocolate Taste Test
Do British Candy Bars Taste Better? Serious Eats Investigates
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Hot Topics
Our Feeds 
Subscribe to our feeds:
Subscribe by email:
10 Comments:
haha, this is awesome. i wish they would play their replies instead of the music.
foodinmouth at 1:24PM on 03/17/08
I had an MRE a couple years ago - it was filling, satisfactory, and kind of fun. It reminded me of camping meals: not at all gourmet, but completely satisfying. I really liked the mini Tabasco bottle, too. Even when mess halls get built, military chefs lack the luxury of farmers market ingredients and do not cook for an audience whose interests would be served by "small plates."
Everyone involved in the Tribune article understands that this food is made for special conditions, but it doesn't exactly come off as being particularly nice to the soldiers who are eating this. I know if a chef came into my kitchen and made such faces, I would feel a little hurt.
jraphs at 1:57PM on 03/17/08
O.K. I'm gonna date myself but MREs are a gourmet meal compared with C rations, I've had them both in the military
Markbb at 2:46PM on 03/17/08
@MarkBB: Now I want to see people taste test C rations! Kinda.
roboppy at 3:07PM on 03/17/08
I have eaten my fair share of MRE's over the years and I have to say that after 10 to 20 miles of sucking dirt and humping over mountains lugging over half my body weight in gear, they taste fine. Semper Fi!
jessea12 at 5:17PM on 03/17/08
Now if only all those chefs creating culinary progress for the airlines would turn their attentions--or be invited to do so!--to military food.
Christina at 5:50PM on 03/17/08
If the Airlines served up MRE's, I would call that proggerssive!
I'd eat the MRE's!
Purenvy at 7:37PM on 03/17/08
Are these the new MRE's? Because I remember seeing something about the whole menu being revamped with better food. Curious if this is what's considered "better."
Rich at 10:42PM on 03/17/08
MREs may not be so good, but the MRE heaters are kinda cool!
I wonder if Pellegrino makes them taste better ...
OneWallKitchen at 4:10AM on 03/18/08
At least they don't have military chocolate any more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_chocolate .
Xtreambar at 10:22AM on 03/18/08