2008 Menu: Chicken Dumpling

Review By Todd Farino

When I pulled this MRE from the bunch I have to say I wasn't excited. For the most part, Mexican meals don't come out the best in MREs. Beef Enchiladas was an alright MRE. The Entree consists of two spicy Beef Enchiladas. Here is the rest of the MRE.

Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake

Wheat Snack Bread
Grape Jam
Chocolate Diary Shake

Entree: Chicken Dumpling

I really wasn't impressed with the chicken dumpling entree.  While it wasn't bad, it lacked feel of a warm meal.  Part of that problem was that the heater just need more time to properly heat it.  You might find if better to cook over a fire or in a gas stove.  The chicken was in blocks and spread through noodles and juice.  The taste was ok, but it was hard to stir in the Tabsaco sauce and salt.  It did had some decent flavor, and would have been much better more throughly heated. 

Snack: Wheat Snack Bread/ Grape Jam
It was your regular dry wheat bread, but the grape jam did make a tasty treat.

Dessert: Chocolate Vanilla Shake:

All that I have to say is wow!.  In all my time of eating MREs, I never tasted a shake.  The tought of it repulsed me.  A milky shake made of water from an MRE?  I was wrong.  I finally decided to open up the shake and give it a try.  I followed the direction and fill the package up to the fill line or 6 ounces of water.  Just in case you don't know, there is no need for a cup or spoon to stir.  You tear open the package and unzip it and pour in the water. 

After you ziplock it closed, you shake it and I'd shake it for a good minute straight.  It doesn't come with a straw, but if you have one that is the best way to drink it.  The other way is to drink it from the pouch.

It was delicious.  When you first taste it, you may taste some power, but it's like cocoa powder.  The texture is almost the same as a chocolate shake, your basic chocolate with a mikly texture. I'm not sure if the chemical gets cold on it's own, but I used cold water for the shake.  If you have cold water, then the colder the better as it makes your shake more realistic.  The shake was an enjoyable dessert and one I'd look forward too. 
Dessert: Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake
If you know me, you know I love the pound cakes and the lemon poppyseed pound cake is no different.  Nice rich flaver of a pound cake flavored by lemon.  Not so much poppyseed, but I was ok with that.

The rest of the MRE was normal. Tasters Choice coffer and gum.

Entree: 4 Stars Desserts: 5 stars
Snacks: 4 StarsRest Of MRE: 3Stars
OVERALL:

MRE Review: Chocolate Diary Shake

Chocolate Diary Shake By Todd Farino

All that I have to say is wow!. In all my time of eating MREs, I never tasted a shake. The tought of it repulsed me. A milky shake made of water from an MRE? I was wrong. I finally decided to open up the shake and give it a try. I followed the direction and fill the package up to the fill line or 6 ounces of water. Just in case you don't know, there is no need for a cup or spoon to stir. You tear open the package and unzip it and pour in the water.
After you ziplock it closed, you shake it and I'd shake it for a good minute straight. It doesn't come with a straw, but if you have one that is the best way to drink it. The other way is to drink it from the pouch.
It was delicious. When you first taste it, you may taste some power, but it's like cocoa powder. The texture is almost the same as a chocolate shake, your basic chocolate with a mikly texture. I'm not sure if the chemical gets cold on it's own, but I used cold water for the shake. If you have cold water, then the colder the better as it makes your shake more realistic. The shake was an enjoyable dessert and one I'd look forward too.

Overall Rating:

MRE Review: Pears

Pears By Todd Farino

I really thought the MRE pears was one of the better side dishes you can get. First and foremost, it looked and tasted like pears.  The pears come serves in a sweet watery syrup.   Pears are one of the best side dishes because they are sweet, so they are like a dessert.  The pear juice is basically flavored water, so it offers that.  To get fruit as fresh as these were in an MRE it's one item I would not pass on if it came in my MRE.

I highly suggest you try MRE pears from 2007-2010.  You will not be let down my an MRE item that is edible, sweet, and refreshing.

OVERALL RATING:

 

MRE Review: Hoohah! Bar

Hoohah! Bar By Todd Farino

I've had the chance to eat several Hoohah! Bars and my take is that they are good eating.  They aren't going to wow you, but they have flavor and they will fill you up.  There are a few different versions, but the one I like the best is the Apple Cinnamon version.  It had a mixture of soft and crunchy textures and gives you a taffy like chew, but doesn't work your jaw nearly as much.  Otherwise, they are easy to chew.

I will say this, the flavor is minimal.  You get it, but the flavor is limited by the texture.  I do recommend you keep your Hoohah! Bar  because you will enjoy eating it.  I think eating the candy bar is the most enjoyable part, more so then the overall flavor.

OVERALL RATING:

MRE Review: Chocolate Peanut Butter and Crackers

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Crackers By Todd Farino

I have to say that I was very impressed with the chocolate peanut butter.  It was full of flavor in kind of tasted like chocolate cake batter with peanut butter.  I've never been a big fan of the MRE crackers, but adding chocolate peanut butter to them made the crackers very edible.  It was almost as if they were made for each other.  I will try the CPB with wheat snack bread, but for now it's great with the crackers. 

Another point was it's ease of spreading the CPB on the crackers.  It was very easy and smooth.  Overall, chocolate peanut butter and crackers was a great MRE snack. 

OVERALL RATING:

MRE Review: Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky By Todd Farino

Beef Jerky is a snack we all look forward to, especially in MREs. However, I hate to disappoint you, but it's not very good. The texture and taste hardly resemble real beef jerky. The jerky I've got was very soft to start. Then when you eat it, it's like eating tough bread. It breaks down in your mouth quickly into crumbs. That may sound alright, but it's not what you want from beef jerky.
Then the taste, not good. While I admit it tastes like beef jerky, the meat flavoring is like and the preservative is a stronger flavor making the jerky uneditable if you have sensitive tastes. It also leaves a weird after taste in your mouth. If you do eat it, you will find yourself eating a little and putting it away for later. It's just not good enough to eat all in one serving. You do get two sticks of jerky in the package.

OVERALL RATING:

MRE Review: Baked Snack Crackers

Baked Snack Crackers By Todd Farino

This review will be short.  The Baked Snack Crackers are better known in the real world as CheeseIts.  However, the MRE version is not nearly as tasty.  To start, the smell like a chemical solvent and not like cheese-based crackers.  Then they lack salt, which a bit more would help.  Finally, you can taste the chemical smell in them and it leaves a nasty after taste. 

You can try eating the Baked Snack Crackers, but you will find that when you get to about the thrid or fourth cracker you won't be able to eat more.  Even worse, don't put a handful in your mouth, it will disgust you.

According to the ingredients, Citric Acid and TBHQ are added to preserve freshness.  I don't taste citric acid, but maybe the chemical taste could be the TBHQ.

From Wikipedia:
tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone) is an aromatic organic compound which is a type of phenol. It is a derivative of hydroquinone, substituted with tert-butyl group.  TBHQ is a highly effective preservative for unsaturated vegetable oils and many edible animal fats. It does not cause discoloration even in the presence of iron, and does not change flavor or odor of the material to which it is added.


Doesn't change the flavor.  Bull.  These were terrible.  Whatever you do, don't give these to your kids.  They won't want them.  If you get them in your MRE, trade them as soon as you can.  Let the other guy figure out how bad they are.  If you have to eat them, add salt and eat them one at a time and take breaks.

OVERALL RATING: