First impression was amazement at the amount of food in this ration.
So after digging in, I decided to heat the main. However, being at a gun show and not having a fire, lol, I used a U.S. FRH (side not: the U.S. Entrees are slightly more narrow than the Canadian. I had to fold one side over about an inch to get it to fit in the FRH) and it heated perfectly. Was super pleased with the temperature of the food.
While waiting for the main to heat up, I tried the fruit cocktail and the lime drink. The lime drink tasted just like lime Gatorade, had that "not too sweet, just right" sweetness about it and left my mouth slightly dry after swallowing. I used 250ML of water (half a bottle) and it was just right. Not too weak, not too strong, just right. The fruit cocktail, what can I say, not really a big fan of fruit cocktail at all, but would like to have this with me EVERY time I go off into the woods. Nice and sweet with a LOT of juice. Texture was just right, not too mushy. The grapes were a little too mushy for my tastes, but the cherries, peaches, and pears were spot on.
Once I saw how much food came in the main, I realized that to make the chicken and rice side dish would just be a waste. So I have stowed it aside and will put it in my bag for the next time I go camping. If it's anything like the rest of this ration, I will NOT be sorry to have it with me. Will review that at a later date.
I was very happy to see both peanut butter And jam in this ration, but was a little dismayed to see it came with tortillas instead of crackers or bread. Not to be undone though, and never one to cry in my root beer about what I "wished" I had instead of making the best of what I do have I thought, what the heck? Make a PB and J on a tortilla. WOW FOLKS! The tortillas were as moist as if they had just come out of the oven at your favorite Mexican restaurant. The peanut butter was extra creamy and tasted like Jiffy. The raspberry jam was just a super nice touch and the perfect "before meal" snack.
The main............... WOW! I am an avid patriot and completely love the rations we produce here in the United States, but I would be lying if I didn't say this was one of the top three entrees I have ever eaten to date in a ration! The veal was moist and tender, very similar to my mothers crockpot cooked all day pot roast. The sauce was extremely creamy with a bold rich flavor. The mushrooms had a slight smokey flavor to them that reminded me of smoked almonds in the after taste. The last time I had veal cutlets in mushroom sauce was at the Bellagio in Vegas and I am serious when I say that this was at least 6.5 times better. While eating it I said to myself I said "Self, now this is a GREAT entree", to which Self agreed.
I have saved the tea for my next camping/hiking trip into the woods to go with the chicken and rice, and also saved one of the lime drinks. However, I did mix up the 3 in 1 coffee packet for an after meal coffee and was pleasantly surprised. It was smooth and creamy and did not call for the whitener or the sugar. Really enjoyed it. A great way to top off what I would consider a very fine meal. During the course of the last hour I have been nibbling on the soldier fuel bar and still have not finished it. I imagine that by the time I get home in 6 hours I will still be full.
In closing, if you get a chance to get your hands on one of these IMPs, do not let it pass. I have a five day survival course I am teaching in three weeks and will be looking for another case of the IMP14s to take with me. This was just plain AWESOME with a side of SPECTACULAR and some Oh My God That's Good for dessert.
Hope you enjoyed this review, I know I enjoyed making it.
