Canadian Ration Review

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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
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Florida
I finally tried one of the Canadian rations today. The IMP (Individual Meal Pack) menu #12, Veal With Lemon Sauce labeled as Lunch/Supper. As stated the min entrée was a retort BIB pouch with the veal in lemon sauce. It also contained:
-a side dish of instant herbed mashed potatoes
-another retort pouch with sliced pears in juice
-a pouch with a slice? of ordinary white bread
-a pouch containing two smallish bear claw cookies (not the sticky pastry)
-a packet of Mrs Dash's seasoning blend
-a packet of pre sweetened and whitened instant coffee (Necafe)
-two packets of lemon-lime cold drink powder
-a toothpick
-a packet of two Chicklets style chewing gum pieces
-a peppermint
-a mixing pouch for the drinks
-a squeeze pouch each of:
--honey
--peanut butter
--hot sauce
-a long handled plastic spoon
-a paper towel and a wet nap
-matchbook
-a comments/suggestion/satisfaction survey for the troops to fill out and return

The only thing I ate hot was the instant [potatoes as they had to be reconstituted with hot water. Everything else I ate cols from the pouches (I didn't make the coffee or any of the cold drinks)

The taste and ease of everything was very good and more than filling enough for a single meal. The gum and peppermint were impossible to tell, if they were generic or name brand as was the pouch with the pears. All the other food items were what appeared to be a commercial brand although I'm not familiar with the brand (Baxters) and all items were of a quality equal to any similar instant or canned (tinned) item I've gotten any commercial grocery store.

The IMP comes in what can best be described as a foil backed paper bag type container. It's sealed much like a US MRE type meal but smaller, and lighter. Also possibly more packable as it looks like a lunch that's been packed in a paper bag.
I'm well pleased with this item and expect to be just as pleased with other menu choices.
 
Off hand I don't know. To be honest they're not available often in the US, at least not this far south. My local surplus store got a supply in at a decent price so I'm taking advantage.

I understand perfectly when you say you like trying other nations' rations. I like it as well.
 
….maybe so, but a conversation about drugs, Thai strippers, etc., doesn't really fit the family friendly ethos to links.

M
 
The popularity of poutine escapes me. Too slimy for a ration pack, I suppose.
Restaraunt gravy arrives as a gray powder in 25lb cardboard boxes.
Only in Canada, Eh? In truth, I rinse/soak my meat (bison) roasting pans with boiling water and freeze that for later.
 
Quite so. By gravy I meant the juices and crispy bits in the roasting pan plus flour then deglazed with wone and home made stock added, the stuff of dreams. Even better with the left overs the next day, or added to Frico. Yum.
 
The only menu item that has the perfect balance of all four food groups in a single item is Irish Coffee. It has just the perfect balance of ALL FOUR food groups:
-Caffeine
-Alcohol
-Sugar and
-Fat
 
If you take your pork fat and place in a pan with a little water and then cook on a high heat, eventually the water evaporates and the fat renders down leaving two products. Fat to fry in and pork scratchings. That believe it or not comes from a Hilton chef who taught me in the army.

Don
 
I'm faintly surprised that bison pemmican wasn't in the kit. Plan to do that this spring, got the meat and the backstrap fat.
Have dried berries for the gourmet version.
Staple for the travelling fur traders, not the base fort group. Rocky Mountain House had a quota of 40,000lbs each year ( 2 weeks work)
according to the meticulous record keeping of the Hudson's Bay Company. Done up in 90lb bison hide bags. Good stuff in 60lb bags.
 

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