Kazakhstan IRP

[TechManDan]

This ration took over 2 months to arive from Russia and it was beat to hell. All cans were dented and the crackers were nearly all smashed... It was all still edible though. It comes neatly divided by meal.

Breakfast on the bottom, lunch in the middle, dinner on top by the handle.

All meals included a pack of tea, 2-3 packs of sugar and 2 packs of crackers. The crackers were the best tasting I have gotten in any ration, foreign or domestic! The tea was so so even with plenty of sugar. They are manufactured in Russia for Kazakhstan and closely resemble the Russian IRPs in taste and type of items.

Breakfast

For breakfast there was liver spread, jam and asomething that resembled salsa. The spread was a lil stronger liver taste then the Russian ones, but still good. The jam was identical to the Russian IRP, just divided into 2 packs. I was impressed by the salsa?, not sure what it is. It was great went well on the other parts of the ration. It is similar to the ragu found in the Russian IRP, just not as finely ground.

Lunch

Lunch consisted of a can of beef that resembles corned beef, it was delicious. It also contains a can of something that resembles couscous with small bits of beef. That was ok, it was definitely a little dry.

Dinner

Dinner was a can of buckwheat and beef. I'm not a big fan of buckwheat, no matter where I get it from it always has a slightly burnt taste.
As always I share the rations with my 2 boy and they love trying new rations and always look forward to the next trial!

[MREHungary]

I had this IRP last weekend and it was actually good. Taste wise that is, but the variation of the meals is actually very poor.

The "salsa" is called vegetable caviar, made from different kinds of vegetables and it is finely grounded with spices. For me it was the highlight of the whole meal.

That "couscous" like thing and the buckwheat meal is called "kasha" (in Russian: каша). In Central and Eastern Europe (mainly in Russia, Ukraine and Poland) it is a traditional meal made from boiled grains (it can be almost anything) and water. I had a couple of Eastern European ration packs and kasha is always a highlight. I must get a recipe. Maybe someone could share one.

[Ruleryak]

Thanks for sharing. Been meaning to eat one of these while it's still good. Glad to hear from you two that nothing seemed to be spoiled. I had only heard from one other person on these so far and they'd had a spoiled one so the news wasn't good.

[gundog4314]

I did a review on one and while cheaply made it was pretty tasty. In fact the double wrapped crackers are some of the best I've had the entire time doing reviews.

[BlackDogBob]

Interesting. I will have to try one. Don't know about waiting two months to get one though. I'm just a tad too impatient for that.

[elandil]

I had a couple of Eastern European ration packs and kasha is always a highlight. I must get a recipe. Maybe someone could share one.

Courtesy of one of my cooking info sites...

Wild Mushroom and Onion Kasha

YIELDMakes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms* (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups raw whole grain buckwheat groats (about 11 ounces)
1 large egg, lightly beaten to blend
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 large onions, chopped (about 5 cups)
8 ounces assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, oyster, and stemmed shiitake), coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth

PREPARATION

Place porcini in small bowl with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let soak until mushrooms are soft, 1 hour. Remove mushrooms from liquid; squeeze dry. Set mushrooms aside. Strain soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Reserve soaking liquid.
Combine buckwheat groats and beaten egg in heavy large pot (preferably nonstick). Stir over medium heat until grains are separated and lightly browned, 10 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, all mushrooms, and garlic to same skillet. Sauté until mushrooms are brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid and boil until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat.
Add remaining reserved soaking liquid and 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth to pot with buckwheat groats. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until buckwheat groats are almost tender, stirring occasionally and adding more vegetable broth by 1/4 cupfuls if needed, about 20 minutes. Add onions and mushrooms to pot and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

*Available at many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Per serving: 205.4 kcal calories, 22.9 % calories from fat, 5.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 26.5 mg cholesterol, 35.4 g carbohydrates, 5.6 g dietary fiber, 5.2 g total sugars, 29.8 net carbohydrates, 7.2 g protein