British ration terminology

[rationtin440]

As I've not yet had a chance to try British rations, I'm just guessing here, but is the "chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce" actually a pudding or more like a cake? I've talked to people who have been overseas and trained with British troops and they've told me that the "biscuit" in a British ration is actually a cookie. Just curious how accurate this info is. Thanks.

[Treesuit]

Actually I had that one not too long ago and it was really delicious. If you warm it up in the bag you will notice that it more or less resembles a cake like square with lots of pudding/sauce like stuff. Very chocolately and filling to say the least. I wouldn't call it a biscut or cookie by any means.

[rationtin440]

My apologies for any confusion Treesuit, I was talking about two completely different ration components, the chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and then the biscuits that come as snack items, I guess they are regular and fruit-filled.

[biscuits brown]

the chocolate pudding is awesome! Its a rather firm chocolate spone stuff , square, with loads of rich hot chocolate sauce with it that you can pour on. Lovely hot! I mix a little peanut butter on mine, but hey im weird as you know

The biscuits fruit filled are a different animal. Army spec "fly biscuits" as garibaldi raisin filled shortcake biscuits are called in the UK. Or were in my day

[Bypah]

I remember having an assistant principal from Jamaica in one of my schools I worked.When we invited her breakfast to eat "buiscuits n' gravy" she looked at us weird.She thought she was going to eat cookies/crackers with tomato sauce/ketchup.....

American biscuits....with yummy gravy!!!

British biscuits....for us cookies or crackers.....lol

brits-biscuit.jpg (19.45 KiB) Viewed 9965 times

Look nice. I would like to try them....

British chocolate pudding....

brits chocolate pudding.jpg (99.65 KiB) Viewed 9965 times

American chocolate pudding...Jello pudding.

jello_pudding.jpg (4.33 KiB) Viewed 9965 times

[Big_jo]

The pictures explain a lot. In British English, cookies are called biscuits. The bread like 'biscuits' I ate when I visited the US don't really have an equivalent here in the UK.

Pudding is usually taken to mean cake, but can refer to dessert in more general terms as well. What is called 'pudding' in the US is more commonly called mousse (pronounced the same as moose), or just by the most well known local brand, Angel Delight.

As for the HobNobs, I am glad to give them a glowing recommendation You might be able to get them on online stores for expats in the US, I do the same to get Mountain Dew and various other things that we Brits are sadly denied

[MrFahrenheit]

I'll second the reccomendation for chocolate hobnobs, think "crispy covered flapjacks" and you're halfway there, a british favorite

The UK rat pack chocolate pudding in chocolate sauce is similar to a suet pudding in texture, (in fact it is suet pudding lol )really good when your out in the cold and wet through

Regards,
MrF

[britman]

Biscuits brown and biscuits fruit are not what I would describe as a cookie... they are not bread like (although they are issued as an alternative to bread, given bread for eating your pate/strawberry jam with wouldn't last very long in storage) but they are harder and plainer than what I would describe a cookie as - think of the biscuit as a bit more palatable than hard tack and the pate as a bit more palatable than bully beef and you're there The biscuits fruit are of the 'swatted fly' type, not really as tasty as civvy Garibaldi, but they are passable with the toothpaste-tube of jam on. There is also an 'oatmeal block' which is a type of sweet shortbread type biscuit, that would be more similar to a cookie I would say.

What is the US idea of a biscuit and gravy? Like UK 'breakfast muffins' and a type of cream sauce?

The best biscuits I think we are issued are the orange-packeted ones in the MCRs - Shrewsbury biscuits or 'biscuits, ginger stem' or somesuch. The ginger adds a bit of spice and heat to things and if you eat it with the fruit puree from the pouch smeared on top, it's gorgeous