Looking good! I'll just start off by saying nothing went bad in this MRE except for the Taster's Choice, which is probably to the surprise of absolutely nobody. This meal had so much I could barely fit it on the plate. The beef teriyaki had a strong hint of soy sauce flavoring with a mild bit of sweetness to it, but not too much. The bamboo pieces made the experience pretty enjoyable and unique to see in an MRE of all things. The wheat snack bread tasted about the same as the current production, although I'm sure the ingredients listing has changed the amount of calories in it has remained the same. The strawberry jam was also sweet and tasty, not darkened or aged in any way. I've heard that the chow mein noodles go bad pretty quickly, however these held up nicely. I added some of them to the main and it added a nice crunchy texture to it. The cheese crackers were a little lacking on flavor but were still a nice addition, although I was hoping for the Combos instead. And the Skittles? Always a treat, especially in the older rations since they always hold up well and this one had flavors they no longer make.
I find it interesting seeing the older packaging and how it's changed. I'm half tempted to take Skittles up on that car offer despite the contest being ended over 15 years ago. I chose not to use the FRH because the older ones are a hit and miss, so I brought in a 2017 FRH and it heated it up nicely. I also don't think the two spoons were intentional, but maybe they were! They still produce this menu today, but under a different name. They currently call it "Asian Style Beef Strips w/Vegetables" and it tastes just as good as this one.
Overall, I'm happy this ration made it! I look forward to reviewing the rest of these older MREs.
