So sorry folks no pictures of Ivan's modern field rations.
I felt I owed it too the group to write review anyway. This what we do right?
So this time strictly a written review. You have to use my descriptions as a guide
I will say cooking in the rain and mud it was a good test of both food and equipment. I used the Swedish Army mess set to cook with and ate out of Russian food containers. The Swedish alcohol stove functioned in the rain perfectly and was hardly affected.
For evening meal I placed the factory tin of meatballs in the Swedish pot with about a canteen cup of water. Then boiled it for about ten minutes, let it cool for a minute. I opened the foil seal with a knife and smelled them. They smelled much like the Swedish meatballs we Americans have at weddings. Took at bite and tasted a mild slightly tangy tomato sauce. It was nowhere near as sweet as the American version and that was an improvement. The meat texture was normal ground beef but more coarse ground than U.S. meat. (Ours is paste nowadays) Some specks of fat were present, but overall they seemed like they used a good grade of meat.
I ate them with their hard Army Loaves, that I understand may be called Ships Biscuits. I gave a taste to a couple of friends that hike and camp. They both were pleasantly surprised at the flavor. They also commented that they were not full of sugar like Wedding meatballs. I found the Russian Army loaf/Ship's biscuits fill you up fast. It was hard to eat them all, but I did.
I had a mug of their tea with left over hot water from cooking. I would say it was just as good as American Lipton but not as good as the English 24 hour ration Tea. The tin was very good to eat out of in the dark and I did not have to clean up anything. I just threw it in the fire and it was gone in 90. seconds.
Strictly my opinion from eating rations on camping, hiking, canoe or military training. These meatballs were a welcome meal at the end of a long wet muddy day.. Comfort food for sure. Combined with their crackers it was enough to satisfy my hunger.
At breakfast it poured rain and again cooking was problematic. I got under the tarp and cooked their porridge.
This is ground meat similar in flavor to U.S. Hormel corned beef, Except it is mixed with Buckwheat.
So you have dish an American or Anglo-Saxon would think resembles Corned Beef Hash (Potatoes and Corned beef).
The Buckwheat Grouts take the place of potatoes. I cooked this in the same fashion, boiled in the tin.
Then cut open the tin with sharp knife. The meat was savory and the buckwheat added body. It was salty but not to extreme. I enjoyed it a great deal. I had the Army Loaves and Russian Army Jam and coffee for my side dish and drink.
The Jam was apple and outstanding. As I am from Virginia Apple Country I grew up eating Apple Butter as we call Apple Jam.
Russians make a similar version and it is less sweet. You taste the apple and the texture is silky smooth and thick.
Also a mug of their fruit flavored drink. This was a mild less version of what seemed like instant tea. I could not make out what fruit flavor it was. It went well with breakfast
Their instant coffee was about the same in flavor to U.S. Folgers instant. I used their cream and sugar packet as well.
This meal was sufficient for the paddle back and to hold me over until Lunch.
My final thoughts are the IRP is a decent meal and the flavors are more natural than US MREs. They use less sugar and artificial flavors for jams and drink mixes.