What Was The Food You Hated Most

[Redbow]

While serving in the US military? I served in the Army so we ate in the Mess Hall. The absolute worst food I ever tried to eat was powered eggs. For a few days around the end of each month the Army ran out of fresh eggs. Then the powered stuff came out for a few mornings. The little small sausages they served for breakfast I could not eat those they looked like something the cat dropped. Next was green liver and they served it often. Most of the time when liver was posted on the outside menu of the mess hall while I was in Germany lots of men turned around and walked over to the Rod & Gun club and got a cheeseburger and fries.

Roast beef. I suppose the government got a special price on the roast beef they bought they surely served us enough of it. I ate it until I could not stand the sight of it. Even today I cannot and will not eat roast beef it turns my stomach to even think about it. I wasn't the only soldier who got tired of the roast beef and the other food items I mentioned.

In Viet-Nam we actually ate pretty good. Being up close to the DMZ our CO told us the 1st Air Cavalry Division and the Marines up there had the 1st priority on the food. We had all the C rations we could eat also. After the evening meal each day a big box of goodies called a "summary pack" was opened and distributed to the men in our company. There were cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snacks, safety razors, soap and other items in there.

Ice cream we craved in Nam but the whole year I was there I only remember getting a popsicle or two twice. We were told the aircraft carries just offshore from our position in Nam had lots of ice cream but they sure would not share it with us. Soft drinks were almost non-existent but we had plenty of beer. I never have liked beer but it did a good job of quenching out thirst when water would not.

What food did you hate to see on the menu while serving in the military?

 

[Railroader]

Chili Mac, and green frog eye peas...

 

[Batjack]

The 1st MREs! Meals Ready to Expel. Only thing good about them was using the "warming pill" to make MRE bombs. Loved hopping a ride home on a sub tho... that's where the good food goes.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

MRE’s…..chicken Ala king. That stuff would knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.

In basic, a Drill Sgt. heard me make a crack about that “god awful smell” coming from the chow hall. Well we was in Anniston Alabama and they used locals to cook, DS made sure he found me next time they served it and made me put it on my plate and eat them. I’d rather lick a bull across the hind end as eat them stinking things.?

 

[oldfella1962]

I can't think of anything really. I was in both the Air Force and the Army and usually if you didn't like the main meat of the day, there was enough variety to find something you liked. But I will say that in my experience the military goes out of their way to make sure everybody in combat zones gets special treatment when it comes to food, which is fair. Unlimited ice creams, desserts, sodas, steaks cooked to order, you name it! You really, really had to keep yourself on a leash or when you got back from the combat zone you might step on the scale and there goes your career!

Funny thing: my very first actual meal in the Air Force (day 1 of basic training) they were serving LOBSTER! I didn't eat it (not a huge seafood fan) but I do remember being somewhat surprised.

 

[oldfella1962]

The 1st MREs! Meals Ready to Expel. Only thing good about them was using the "warming pill" to make MRE bombs. Loved hopping a ride home on a sub tho... that's where the good food goes.

YES! MRE bombs were a blast (no pun intended). Okay just don't stand too close or the plastic from the bottle might hit you in the eye.

 

[oldfella1962]

MRE’s…..chicken Ala king. That stuff would knock a buzzard off a gut wagon.

In basic, a Drill Sgt. heard me make a crack about that “god awful smell” coming from the chow hall. Well we was in Anniston Alabama and they used locals to cook, DS made sure he found me next time they served it and made me put it on my plate and eat them. I’d rather lick a bull across the hind end as eat them stinking things.?

The MRE version of chicken ala king is actually pretty good.

 

[Batjack]

The MRE version of chicken ala king is actually pretty good.

Yeah, second generation (ones with the "warming strip" no pill) were all pretty good and at least came with that teeny bottle of hot sauce which was just enough to make you mad on food it went with, but enough to hide the taste of what you didn't like.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

You couldn’t trade or give away the CAK in the mid 80’s. That was before the new heaters were put in the MRE’s. Surely they changed the ingredients if y’all liked them.

 

[Ruger#3]

Some sort of chili mac in the first MREs.
I don't know how the AF had them but supply had pallets of C rations in the warehouse. When we knew MREs were coming we'd go get the C rations. Canned fruit and spam beat the heck outta those first MREs. Of course we weren't toting them any distance either.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

SOS! They were still serving chipped beef on toast on board ships in the 1970s. Even the officer's mess was victimized by the horrible concoction. Every week or so (more often in crew mess) SOS showed up. Yuck!

I never understood how the Navy could uniquely ruin a simple dish. Almost everything else prepared by the Navy cooks on two DGLs I served on, and a half dozen other ships (including two carriers) I spent some time on, was generally pretty good. (Admittedly, powdered eggs were never "tasty.")

 

[Ruger#3]

SOS! They were still serving chipped beef on toast on board ships in the 1970s. Even the officer's mess was victimized by the horrible concoction. Every week or so (more often in crew mess) SOS showed up. Yuck!

I never understood how the Navy could uniquely ruin a simple dish. Almost everything else prepared by the Navy cooks on two DGLs I served on, and a half dozen other ships (including two carriers) I spent some time on, was generally pretty good. (Admittedly, powdered eggs were never "tasty.")

Musta been a Navy thing. AF was pretty good,

 

[oldfella1962]

SOS! They were still serving chipped beef on toast on board ships in the 1970s. Even the officer's mess was victimized by the horrible concoction. Every week or so (more often in crew mess) SOS showed up. Yuck!

I never understood how the Navy could uniquely ruin a simple dish. Almost everything else prepared by the Navy cooks on two DGLs I served on, and a half dozen other ships (including two carriers) I spent some time on, was generally pretty good. (Admittedly, powdered eggs were never "tasty.")

There's an old joking saying that the Army has the best food in the world, until the cooks get a hold of it!

 

[madsam]

After a few weeks at sea they would start serving milk in a box (unrefrigerated)
and of course powdered eggs. Also, on Friday was fish day. You would get extra
protein if you ate the worms in the meat. Developed a taste for canned smoked
oysters from the ships store pretty quick. And SOS ...which wasn't always bad.

 

[Batjack]

There's an old joking saying that the Army has the best food in the world, until the cooks get a hold of it!

Remember the story in "Apocalypse Now" that "Chef" told "Willard" about why he was on that boat instead of cooking? " They lined us all up in front of some of the nicest beef I've ever seen, then they dropped all that meat in to boil'n water and cooked it till it was green. After I quit puke'n, I put in my transfer."

 

[oldfella1962]

I just remembered! In older version of rations/MRE's they had a super HARD oatmeal? bar. It was rectangular, maybe 3" long and 1" high & 1"wide. You could not eat it without plenty of water to wash it down. And you better not have any loose or tender teeth before attempting to eat it, but you might end up with some when you finish eating it!

In the Italian Air Force rations in the early 2000's they had WINE! Yep, a little carboard kid's milk carton sized portion of wine! The air traffic controllers even had it in their rations. Hey, when in Rome (no pun intended).

 

[oldfella1962]

Remember the story in "Apocalypse Now" that "Chef" told "Willard" about why he was on that boat instead of cooking? " They lined us all up in front of some of the nicest beef I've ever seen, then they dropped all that meat in to boil'n water and cooked it till it was green. After I quit puke'n, I put in my transfer."

I wondered how meat turned green.
But enough about my visits to the flight surgeon's clinic for undisclosed reasons!

 

[Redbow]

Actually the SOS in the Army was not bad at all. I usually put it over toast . Powdered eggs I had the cook dribble a little pan cake syrup over them or mixed them with oatmeal. That way I could get them down. I never saw lobster served in the Army and not a whole lot of shrimp either. Fish was okay sometimes but kinda old tasting at other times.

Some of the best breakfast food was hot cakes or French toast. The bacon was fair and some times we had some pretty good ribs to eat for the noon meal. On Sundays it was always cold cuts to give the cooks a break on their cooking. We had several cuts of meat, sardines, pork n beans, several different kinds of cheese and breads to go with it including crackers. Chocolate and plain milk was always available including orange juice. Vanilla and chocolate pudding for dessert.

We had a Colonel in Germany the mess hall was his pet peeve. He often checked up on the cooks and the mess sergeant's way of doing things in the kitchen. Several times he had the whole kitchen crew standing at attention including the mess sergeant as he told them about the things that he didn't like going on with the cooking and serving of food. All we could hear was the Colonel talking and the mess sergeant saying. yes sir, I agree sir, it won't happen again sir. I know the mess sergeant and the cooks hated to see that man walk into the mess hall.

 

[Batjack]

Actually the SOS in the Army was not bad at all. I usually put it over toast .

I still with good conscience can't put it on toast. I do how ever love to take stew beef and tenderize it a couple days then put it in the pressure cooker / instant pot now a days. Then make a milk / flour slurry / gravy and pour it all on mash'd spuds at least once a week.

 

[oldfella1962]

Actually the SOS in the Army was not bad at all. I usually put it over toast . Powdered eggs I had the cook dribble a little pan cake syrup over them or mixed them with oatmeal. That way I could get them down. I never saw lobster served in the Army and not a whole lot of shrimp either. Fish was okay sometimes but kinda old tasting at other times.

Some of the best breakfast food was hot cakes or French toast. The bacon was fair and some times we had some pretty good ribs to eat for the noon meal. On Sundays it was always cold cuts to give the cooks a break on their cooking. We had several cuts of meat, sardines, pork n beans, several different kinds of cheese and breads to go with it including crackers. Chocolate and plain milk was always available including orange juice. Vanilla and chocolate pudding for dessert.

We had a Colonel in Germany the mess hall was his pet peeve. He often checked up on the cooks and the mess sergeant's way of doing things in the kitchen. Several times he had the whole kitchen crew standing at attention including the mess sergeant as he told them about the things that he didn't like going on with the cooking and serving of food. All we could hear was the Colonel talking and the mess sergeant saying. yes sir, I agree sir, it won't happen again sir. I know the mess sergeant and the cooks hated to see that man walk into the mess hall.

That's old school right there! Now almost all military chow halls are civilian contracted. Also the gate guards are civilian contracted security too, supplemented somewhat by actual military members. Here at Fort Gordon it seems like they have a different security company every couple of years or so.