current Netherlands / Dutch rations

aquarius · Post by **aquarius** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:22 am

Nowadays the Netherlands Army has basically 4 different rations:
1. Survival ration. This consists of bars packed in a freen cardboard box. (No pic)

2. Gevechtsrantoen Ontbijt + Lunch voor 24 uur (=Fighting ration Brakfast + Lunch for 24 hrs). The breakfast and luchcomponents are packed in a cardboard box and it has no main entrees. They come in military packings, or in the packing with a stamp that all contenst are made from commercially available items.
Main entrees are in plastic pouches or in tin cans (2 per ration).

3. ROEK = Rantsoen Onder Extreme Koude (=ration under extreme coldness). These rations are for the Marines when training for arctic warfare. Items are packed in plastics bag. these rations have been extensively pictured and described on this forum.

4. LAV = Lange Afstandsverkenner rantsoen (=Long range reconaissance ration). Same items as the ROEK only fewer, and of course weighing less.

The ROEK's are much easier to get than the LAV's . The latter is extremely hard to get, because thet are only distributed to our KCT = Korps Commando Troepen (=Commando Troops Corps). The KCT is a small and rather secretive special forces/long range unit.
Occasionally ROEK's and LAV's areissued to small units of the Luchtmobiele Brigade (=Air Mobile Brigade).

Post by **kman** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:39 pm

Great pictures and info - thanks!

laughing_man · Post by **laughing_man** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:09 pm

Hi aquarius,

It is wonderful information!

I have three rations of the Netherlands.
One is the same as your picture.
Do you understand the true character of other two rations?

aquarius · Post by **aquarius** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:46 pm

Hi laughing-man!

The other ration in the cardboard box is a genuine 24 combat ration, however it is the one made of commercial items. Great item!
The printing reads:
Handelsgebruikelijke ontbijt/lunchcomponenten = Commercial Breakfast/Lunch Components.
Leverancier: Kruidenier Foodservices = Supplier: Grocer Foodservices.
Verpakkingsdatum = Date of Packing.
T.h.t. = Tenminste houdbaar tot = At Least Conservable Till.

De plastic bag is the older type Arktisch Rantsoen (= Arctic Ration). This one has been superseded by the ROEK.

I noticed there are many Dutch main entrees made with tahoe (tofu). Our food is influenced by the colonial past of my country. We rather have a large Indonesian (former Netherlands Indies) kitchen. I like Indonesian food very much, but I can't remember having eaten tahoe ever!

laughing_man · Post by **laughing_man** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:11 am

Thank you for explaining!
Since there is little information on Dutch ration, it is very interesting.

Many countries of Asia have a variation of tofu.
(of course, Japanese people also love tofu.)
I have not eaten the tofu of the Indonesia style yet.
I try it on the main entree!

aquarius · Post by **aquarius** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:23 am

Here is a pic of the contents of main meal "Kapucijners met tahoe" before heating.
(Kapucijners = brown beans)
I tasted it and even ate it, but it is my least favorite meal, so to say. The Tahoe/tofu tasted like.. well.. nothing!
It is a vegetarian meal, and I don't like vegetarian food at all.

Post by **kman** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:42 am

Wow - that's one entree that looks like it needs some serious heating. I can only imagine what eating it cold would be like!

Bypah · Post by **Bypah** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:59 am

The thing with tofu/tahoe is that it has no flavor of its own. It takes the flavoring you give it when cooking.In some places they make it like srambled eggs and sometimes is mixed with mozarella cheese as a filler.

Same in the rations ,it will get the flavor of its condiments.

aquarius · Post by **aquarius** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:40 pm

Some people don't have a clue about what's happening around them. And I'm one of them!

Imagine: I work in a little town. On the market square is a little bar/restaurant which my co-workers and I infrequently visit. About 50 meters further down the road is a small Army/Navy store. I didn't know that for 4 years, untill 2 weeks ago, I strawled along it. I went in and bought 7 MRE's for 45.50 euro, which was not really cheap. As I went out the shop I bumped into some young Marines who wondered about me buying MRE's. One of them told me he had a bunch of rations lying around and he was willing to sell it to me. I never realised the Dutch Marines Training Centre is only 7 miles down the road!! How dumb can a person be??

Anyway, today I received a phonecall from one of the marines. If I was willing to buy some left overs? YES, of course!
Finally I bought the following stuff (for a very good price):
6x MRE (2006)
8x apple/abricot desert (freeze dried)
11x apple flakes
7x instant muesli
8x instant porridge
3x side entree/lunch
8x main entree
6x current Dutch Arctic ration
4x Experimental Modular Ration.

The 4 experimental rations are on the right side of the picture. I was told that these rations have been tested this year in Norway. I have to sort this one out in the near future and I 'll let you know.

laughing_man · Post by **laughing_man** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:01 am

It is wonderful

I expect your follow-up.