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By David Fox
KABUL, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Napoleon said an army marches on its stomach
and for the several thousand troops serving with the international
peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, food is always on their minds.
"Unless a soldier is training or on operation, you can bet many will
only be thinking about two things, and one of them is food," said Flight
Lieutenant Steve Harrison, a spokesman for the International Security and
Assistance Force for Afghanistan (ISAF).
Worried local cuisine may prove too rich a diet for their forces, ISAF
troops have been ordered to only eat ration packages - the infamous "rat
packs" on which almost every army marches.
The differences in the rat packs are as varied as the 17 nations that
make up the force, prompting some rivalry, some jealousy and even some trade
among soldiers desperate for a change of diet.
Most soldiers agree U.S. forces have the most user-friendly food. Inside
the thick brown plastic bag known as an MRE (meal ready to eat, according to
the army; meal rejected by everyone, according to soldiers), are a selection
of goodies including chewing gum, sweets, puddings, hot and cold drink
powders, crackers and peanut butter or cheese spread.
The main meal varies from chicken teriyaki to spaghetti, or stew with
rice, noodles or potatoes.
JUST ADD FLAVOUR
But the best thing about the MREs are a handy chemical cooking pack
which heats up the main meal with just a few tablespoons of water. A
miniature bottle of Tabasco sauce adds zest for those with hot tastes.
There is little finery to Britain's rat packs, but in keeping with
national stereotypes there is plenty of tea.
Hot meals have to be prepared on a little stove which works using fire
lighters, although like almost all the different rat packs, the meals can
also be eaten cold.
But it is the puddings that set the British rations apart from the rest
- including a butterscotch creation that soldiers have dubbed "devils'
testicles" and claim are more useful as an offensive weapon than a
fill-me-up.
Curiously, the British rat pack boxes have a target printed on the side
so soldiers can obtain a true range for their weapons after dining al
fresco.
The French packs offer the greatest variety of hot meals, and, in
keeping with the nations' reputation for fine cuisine, are beautifully
packaged and presented.
Soldiers have a choice of duck, pork or salmon pate as a starter
followed by chicken and greens "parisienne", stewed lamb "navarin", paella,
veal or sauteed rabbit.
The pack also contains lots of chocolate, energy bars and sweets and
boasts all items can be "traced to their origin", a reference to French
concerns about mad cow disease.
The most universally loathed rat pack among ISAF troops is the Norwegian
ration, which comes in two bulky boxes.
The first is actually quite appetising, containing sweets, spreads and
by far the biggest variety of drinks, including herb teas.
But the main meals are freeze dried and need to be added to water and
heated up - hopeless for a soldier on the move.
"I think it would be better to eat the package and throw away the
food," said one soldier.
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
In keeping with the Scandinavian reputation for squeaky-clean
environmental awareness, the packages contain litter bags and urge the user
to "protect the environment" - possibly not the first thing on a soldier's
mind in combat.
The Italian ration packs have a hearty portion of pasta and sweets, but
ISAF soldiers say the Italians always boast at least one good cook in each
platoon who can combine everyone's rations into a dish any Sicilian mother
would be proud to present.
"You must try and score an invite to the Italians," one ISAF official
said. "They know how to do it."
Actually it would be very easy for the ISAF forces to eat well on local
food. Kabul's markets are full of fine fresh produce, although the butcher
shops sometimes appear a bit rustic for Western tastes.
Perhaps that is the origin of the joke doing the rounds about which
nation really does have the best rat packs.
"The Afghans have the best," said one soldier. "It has got four legs and
bleats and follows them around."
(C) Reuters Limited 2002.
Sources: REUTERS NEWS SERVICE , REUTERS NEWS SERVICE - INDIA , REUTERS NEWS
SERVICE 27/01/2002
REUTERS Business Briefing , 27-1-2002
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