French RCIR MRE Review - Is This The Best Tasting Ration In The World?

[@blitzhill9533]

There is a very rare french MRE that is specifically made for festive times (christmas, new year, national day...), it contains a bottle of wine, a main dish with guinea fowl meat and chestnuts, duck rillettes, a cake, tapenade (olive paste) and other goodies, It's already really rare for soldiers to get these so it's even more rare for it to get out

[@realhorrorshow8547]

Isn't it a pouch of wine? I've seen that in a French ration.

[@blitzhill9533]

@@realhorrorshow8547 no it's a real small bottle of wine, not with a cork tho but you can check PIWAN on youtube, he made a video with it, it's in french but you can see what the MRE contains

[@realhorrorshow8547]

@@blitzhill9533 Okay. The real point is: Civilisation, no matter what. Vive la France.

[@l-vinotrading4450]

Is there a specific name that I can google?

[@nickfarr691]

The best French rat pack I've had had ostrich casoulet, wild boar terrine, foigras, plus all the trimmings and issued for Bastille Day. Good Tucker.

[@happyslappy5203]

Fun fact: the Opinel knife (Oh-pee-nail) is an iconic knife in France. Almost all farmers, hunters, fishermen etc carry an Opinel in their pockets. You can use it for almost all current daylife tasks. But the main task is to cut the "saucisson sec" (dry sausage), cheese and bread, when working or hiking in the countryside.. Not to forget the red wine! (Opinels are sold in 10 sizes: the largest Opinel has got a 10 inches blade)

[@Perktube1]

It deserves a story of its own.

[@TheWolfsnack]

I love mine....I carry it in my pocket all of the time...

[@schizoidboy]

In regards to cutting sausage I read that Army Special Forces state when picking a knife think of something you're going to cut baloney with.

[@ommsterlitz1805]

Sadly the 50cm version is now used as a fighting blade by gangs...

[@lancerevell5979]

At 65, I finally got around to getting my first Opinel knife. It's okay, but I like my Swedish Mora Knives better. Though, they don't fold.

[@Philobiblion]

This is a really fun channel. As a 74 year old former high school exchange student to France, French major, masters in French language and literature, francophile, cook specializing in French cuisine, etc. this review is not one bit surprising! I would expect nothing less. When I was in France in 1964 and '65 one thing that mystified me was why the housewives of the families I stayed with went out shopping every day for provisions, even quite affluent ladies, who could easily afford well-stocked larders. The answer was always the same: freshness. Everything had to be fresh or else the meal would invariably suffer. This RCIR is crafted for men and women raised up with high expectations for each and every meal. Everybody takes food seriously-- even grade school kids, who are fed real food at lunchtime: a piece of chicken, some white beans, a veg, green salad, some nice, crusty bread with local butter, a piece of chocolate. It's the difference between a civilized country and an uncivilized one.

[@uncleiroh0989]

I've always loved France but you make me want to visit it even more now!

[@Lostouille]

​@@uncleiroh0989come after we are done striking again 💀 , after September .

[@mikewingert-savagelyerudite]

My French MRE ration box of 1975 amused me. It contained, amongst others, a miniature of brandy, ten Gitanes cigarettes, matches, cheese, tinned fish and tinned pate. It was a revelation to us British soldiers on exercise in France…..and delicious too…🇬🇧

[@victor6814]

In French ration from ww1, you can even found some caviar

[@mearalain3006]

No Gitanes in mine, only Gauloises armée française blue package. Brandy was calvados officially for cleaning gun's barrel.

[@eloisebard8299]

I'm french and it's so funny to discover the military ration of my country on your american channel 😄

[@MREScout]

Good food is good food. Welcome. We don't get a lot of women here. Nice of you to be here.

[@yannrousseau5437]

Reheating main dishes in a bain-marie is not an efficient and sufficient way in my opinion. I find the order in which you eat the food very anachronistic, it made me laugh 😜. Good video anyway 👍

[@CameraFilmProductions]

To be fair, it was Napoleon that said an army marches on its stomach.

[@Joe-hi6on]

Didn't his army starve & freeze in Russia? He should have listened to his own advice. Lol!

[@lancelot9647]

​@@Joe-hi6on That's why we lost after capturing moscow lol Although we died because of heat and starvation when ce came, then died from the cold when we left Kutusov and Alexander carried hard the coalition on that one 😅

[@lancelot9647]

​​@@Joe-hi6on Honestly its already a miracle that he kicked Europe's ass 5 times in a row, taking in charge of a Nation that was going in deep troubles, unifies the country, gave back poland's land from prussia and russia, doing lots of good reforms everywhere, stopped all the violence and starvation inside France, which was the major reason that caused the 1st french revolution

[@Mr_Valentin.]

The Russians kept retreating and they scorched their own land, and burned Moscow, not even Napoleon would expect that... ​@@Joe-hi6on

[@gabrielstrong2186]

that 65% cacao chocolate is actually one of the lower Cacao levels from the French rations, I have had one up to 78% I believe and it was fantastic. Given that I like dark chocolate it was great but I can understand that some people might find it a bit harsh.

[@murphy7801]

Fyi the cheese is normally fondue. You need to heat it then dip the biscuits.

[@matthewwindram977]

Former 68W here. Glad I found your channel. My son and I are huge fans of military rations and we're both looking forward to more videos. Keep up the good work dude.

[@Marcel_Germann]

Not only for Eastern Europe. After WW2 a lot of Germans went in there. The brother of my grandma was in the Legion in 1951. He was fighting in Indo-China (what later desintegrated into the three countries Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) for the French, alongside a lot of other Germans. There's still a lot of German tradition there, like singing "Westerwald", which sounds very funny when people try to sing a German song, but can't speak German. In addition to the heavy Eastern European accent.

[@lancerevell5979]

There were many ex-WWII Germans in the French Foreign Legion when they went into French Indochina in the 1950s. A good read is the book "Hell In A Very Small Place", about the French debacle in Dien Bien Fu in 1954. The FFL set up several fire bases and an HQ in a valley. The Viet Mihn set up artillery in the surrounding hills, and the monsoon rains didn't help either. Then, the French Generals safely back in Paris basically screwed the troops over. The troops fought well, but were doomed.

[@Thrakerzog]

I'm ex- L.E. and I can assure you this is real and tres fantastique. We NEVER were hungry or disappointed.

[@EvanTanks]

In France we really make a difference between salty and sweet. We don’t mix the two. We always start with a salty starter (pâté or soup) then we continue with the main course and then we take the dessert (in your case the nougat bar or the fruit bar). And we end up with coffee. If we eat the sweet before the main course it denatures the taste in our palate. In short we do not appreciate the main course as much. Watching you eat the nougat the chocolate bar and cheese before the main course and the soup turns my stomach. Lol it also reminds me of my father’s floats when I tried to eat dessert before eating.

[@sgt_slobber.7628]

The French know how to eat!!!!!🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

[@theeddorian]

More importantly they know about flavour. The US rations are "designed" for nutrition rather than morale. One thing I would recommend (and do) is to save the strawberry jam to have with the cheese and crackers. Grew up having cheese and jam sandwiches for lunch which baffled a lot of school mates.

[@fritefrie]

​​@@theeddorianyeah, the french military have really not much money, so the soldiers have to endure difficult times. And the diner is a religion in France, so you have to eat good food for the morale

[@anthonymerola1489]

Oh, yes, definitely Michelin-grade rations. I've had French rations before. They are awesome.

[@SLACKPLAN9]

When I was at PSAB during Southern Watch, one of these cost EIGHT US MRES in exchange.

[@schizoidboy]

One article I read on military food stated the French Foreign Legion actually has their own brand of wine.

[@siretriste4045]

The name is Puyloubier. I recommend searching a bit the history behind this place, it is quite an exceptional production

[@user-aero68]

I believe the vinyard is owned by the Legion and run by retired Legionnaires

[@philippesoares1745]

​@@user-aero68it's the case. It's actually a sanatorium/retirement home for the least fortunates of the legion. The disabled in combat or not, the poor and the elderly. It's part of their motto to "ne pas abandonner son frère" (to not abandon your brother).

[@wlewisiii]

I remember trading for French rations in 1983. Giving them a C ration for their pasta, bread, box of wine and a blue pack of Gitanes cigarettes always felt like we were ripping them off.

[@828enigma6]

No Galouses?

[@wlewisiii]

@@828enigma6 I think (it's been a couple of years ;) they had both depending on the ration.

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

I’m sure they enjoyed the C rat just for the menu variation, having the same meals over and over again gets old for anyone I’m sure

[@tomkratman4415]

They probably had the same issues that we did, menu fatigue. Eat the same shit long enough and even the good stuff starts to become vile.

[@kira68200]

@@tomkratman4415 well the french army use 14 different menus, 7 of these without pork and 4 of these that can be eat cold

[@tomawen5916]

Only the French would make such superb food "in a can, no less!" I have eaten the RCIR 9 meal and the beef lasagna and the tuna dish was not bad. I also enjoyed the liver pate and other goodies. I have an RCIR 10 meal and just waiting for right time to break that open.

[@Flying-Bunny]

Well ... we did invent can for military after all, so it makes sense we use it for our rations :p

[@SgtBones]

Yep, now you know why I am stoked when my son goes on manuever with the french and brings some of those back with him ;)

[@roml1289]

The french rations come with no utensils because every french soldier is equipped with a "tatou", a set of reusable metal knife/fork/spoon/bottle opener in a for similar to a Swiss army knife but bigger. So they don't need anything in the box.

[@stevestruthers6180]

Canadian soldiers used to be issued a metal knife, fork and spoon, or what was called a KFS set. Back in those days, the rations mostly came in tin cans, or tubes (for peanut butter, butter and meat spread). A US P38 style can opener came with the ration packs. Since the early 1990s, rations have been issued in sealed retort pouches, and a spork is included. Most of the menu items are made in such a way that a knife is pretty much not necessary anymore. Just heat and eat directly out of the retort bag, unless you need to eat the food cold because tactical conditions require the imposition of odour discipline.

[@franctursic249]

You’re the only man on earth that gave a good review on the ration cheese😂 we usually put it in fire so that it pops to scare the newbies

[@derricklandrum3513]

Best ration I have ever had! Opinel and the k55k are the best knives ever made.

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

Also, look into Laguioles.

[@Optimusprimerib36]

I don’t know about MREs, but I’ve been all over the world and France twice. There’s great food everywhere but sometimes you have to work to find it. In France, you have to work to find bad food, and honestly, I’ve never had it there. They value food more than any other culture. Respect.

[@mikekreischerreviews3420]

The French RCIR are amazing. Best menus out there.

[@SLACKPLAN9]

When I was at PSAB (Prince Sultan Air Base), it cost us EIGHT US MREs for ONE RICR. I knew some generous RAF personnel that could sneak me one 24hr pack for two US MREs. The problem, for ME, is that an RICR is composed of treats to be eaten with French wine.

[@carlmontney7916]

Maybe the French make those rations so delicious as an incentive for you to kill the enemy and survive so you can continue to eat them?

[@roddmatsui3554]

This meal box looks like pure happiness!

[@davidmunro3564]

French food is always really good❤

[@martinwinther6013]

Both the italian and the french mres had some sort of alcohol included years and years after other nations had implemented some sort of alcohol-policy in the service. Would be interesting to get a reweiv of one of those, If any exists at this point

[@robertcabu1947]

on appelle sa chez nous L EAU DE VIE un alcool très fort a environ 65 75% sa réveille un mort . amitiés de France

[@deja9929]

My absolute favorite type of ration. Then again, I’ve only had a handful of foreign rations. Would love to try a South African one some day. Great video!

[@christhirion9474]

No you don't, the SANDF ratpack taste like shit.

[@je710817]

Love the french MRE ...had them on exc.with the french ...loved it

[@gotthia7184]

What's "sad" nowadays with our MRE (french ones) is that they took out the wine and/or liquor and/or eau de vie from it. Years ago, each one of them had wine, eau de vie or liquor in it, not in big quantities but still

[@nickhayley]

Love the pulp fiction references. What an awesome channel.

[@lancerevell5979]

Many don't realise, foreign nationals can also serve in the US military. I have known several.

[@grandhomme4183]

Can we really?

[@donjones4719]

You mention being able to serve this army ration food in a restaurant. We also make jokes about hospital food but I was in the hospital (in NYC) a couple of years ago for a minor operation and had a chicken breast with dijon sauce that was better than what I've had in a restaurant with nice napery. It was thick and juicy and the sauce had a delicate touch, nothing like the usual American over-the-top way of making things. The rest of the meal was good also. This was Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn.

[@minormunitions]

I love the look of surprise on your face when you think something will taste worst than it does 😆

[@coachjonjiujitsu]

Former 19k/19d here. Keep 'em coming!!!

[@MultiMagnum62]

Very cool friend. I finished up an RCIR, about 2 weeks ago. Only complaint, the nougat bar. They smell like paint thinner, LOL. Your meal looks excellent. Good looking components. That cheese is excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad you enjoyed. Peace, John.

[@MultiMagnum62]

Many people are asking about you, on old smokeys live streams, Sat Night? Might wish to say hello, just saying? Might help channel out Bro. You know, Nola Joe, others as well. Think about it next weekend, just saying. Peace, John.

[@Doubt_Cast]

I was prepared to not like that, spoken like a true man.

[@carrisasteveinnes1596]

And a true man is exceedingly rare. God help us.

[@BaoPham2]

My first time watching a video of yours. I love the editing! Not to bash on other MRE videos, but they dont have the same modern feel as yours

[@MREScout]

Thanks... I'm still learning editing, but I try to keep it fun.

[@wingatebarraclough3553]

France has an issued utensil kit, even an updated one with a nicer knife and larger spoon and fork, coming in a pouch....

[@marka4891]

That cereal biscuit sounds a lot like a British, digestive biscuit that my mother used to eat with her tea. You could also get them with chocolate on one side, iirc. Also, the Potee Paysanne sounds like cassoulet, to me. Beans and sausage.

[@Uryendel]

Cereal biscuit as nothing to do with digesive biscuit, more like a denser cereal cracker. Potee Paysanne is not like cassoulet, it's based on cabbage and salted porc and it's more soupy, very different flavor

[@marka4891]

@@Uryendel Ah, okay. Thanks for the information.

[@oninojob]

Potée and Cassoulet are not tasting the same at all :)

[@Perktube1]

Steve once had a French MRE which contained rabbit stew.

[@OverseerMoti]

Nice hiss. I wonder if Steve is okay.

[@redstone5149]

Steve’s gone underground.

[@Elric30]

Good food, good soldiers !! Who can think otherwise !!

[@Uberalles02]

Loving the reviews man. Keep up the great work!

[@sirguy104]

I like the way you heated the tin food.

[@marzsit9833]

that's actually the proper way to heat this ration. the french troops still carry a mess kit with silverware, you use the esbit stove supplied with the ration to heat the tins in one of the mess kit pans with water, then you use the hot water to make drinks. lots of people try to heat the tins directly on the esbit stove, that just scorches and burns the food.

[@MrStonelion63]

I had one French MRE that included a small bottle of wine.

[@darthwingnut464]

Loving the Wild Bill's mug... got my own all set to get packed for the next convention I travel to.

[@rotardavid5121]

Great video this is definitely the best NATO MRE out there

[@bryansammis998]

Bon Appetit 🇫🇷😋👍 PS-your Opinel No.8 is a nice touch😉👍

[@ADHDWOOHOO]

Welp. Ordering this for my next hiking trip ASAP. I'd say the only better one I've had is the cassoulet RCIR. Gawt dayum.

[@christinevenner183]

I recently had this menu. It's pretty solid. Mine had tuna cheese, which I really liked surprisingly enough, and prunes, not 2 cheeses, though.

[@LSFD7]

This one also has tuna cheese ("thon au fromage"), he just thought it was cheese because he only read the "fromage" bit

[@outdoorfreedom9778]

I have never had a foreign ration, just American C and K with a try of the MREs from the late 60s. This looked like something worth having on hand. Is there anywhere we can purchase them?

[@Artis_Lapsley]

Amazon. Or Google.

[@-_-----]

"He was wearing just a Beret, a side-arm................ and literally nothing else." "He also had an all-female hare- *cough* - i.. i - mean, Protective Detail, around him!" "Weird guy hahah lol"

[@oisin666666]

In FFL you put the tins closed on fire and shake them from time to time. If they bulge, they're done.

[@c3aloha]

Bernard Fall wrote about wine concentrate called vinogel at Dien Bien Phu but I’ve never seen any on the internet.

[@yorkshireako134]

Kosovo was very quiet in 2002. I was there too working out of Pristina with the British Army The French base was terrible food but the food in Bondsteel was fantastic.

[@Uryendel]

Why you boiled the can? you have a little tab stove with the ration

[@CharlesPayne]

I traded for a French MRE in Desert Storm. I remember it being miles ahead of what we had at the time, but much heavier to carry.

[@acid3129]

We would mix some of the cereal and chocolate biscuits with the hot chocolate mix and mush it up into a sort of porridge

[@bryanpelton6646]

I love the cartoon Skunk reference!

[@michaelwest9311]

Pepe LePew!

[@nickhayley]

Those burps! Wasn't expecting that to be left in the edit! .. not even an excuse me! Lol

[@MREScout]

Been in some new medication that my stomach doesn’t approve of.

[@thefobiddenbookshelf7560]

Darren excellent TRES BIEN. Bill McIntosh here.

[@redwolfexr]

Yes, the trade value in 1991 was a case of US MREs for one 24 hour RCIR. LOL. Back then they had 2 variations so 4 entrees total.

[@Itk8989]

In France you can get those for 10 bucks, yummy

[@tonyyarbray]

I've been carrying my current Opinel knife in my pocket for about 12 years now. French military fights well and eats well

[@ironboy3245]

on one hand, our guys would love the taste. On the other hand, I wonder how heavily these things get fieldstripped before going out. On the bright side they'll probably be having a military feast if they ever got stuck in trench warfare

[@bigbeard134]

Next time u gotta use the little stove lol

[@ghost_in_the_city5015]

Nice! Let’s get this out on a tray. (I personally like chocolate muesli)

[@anumeon]

The french do have a strong tradition of good military rations. I mean it was Napoleon Bonaparte that made a prize of 12.000 francs to the person who developed a good way to preserve food after all. That gave the world the tin can

[@NeistH2o]

As a french guy living in the netherlands for 8 years, i swear this MRE looks like my very best friend… and I left france thinking this wouldn’t happen to me, I could adapt to anything… well after 8 years you do feel the giant hole in your life 😂😭

[@REDTK421BLACK]

There are no utensils provides because French forces are issued a set during basic, kown within the Legion as 'le tattou'. Why? Because, like a tattoo, it's always on you.

[@SuperINFINITY181]

For all the fun we have at the French Army’s expense, the truth is that the French Army is and has historically been exceptionally capable and resilient; part of what makes 1940 stand out the way it does is that it’s the exception rather than the rule for France; and if anything, in that battle France in a sense defeated itself even before the Germans attacked.

[@Ndriana]

The French general you mentioned was Gen. Philippe Morillon, right?

[@MREScout]

Who could remember. K-For 4a May-Nov 2002

[@KayakTN]

I got a menu #14 RCIR as a Christmas gift. I haven't dug into it yet. I'm not sure how i feel about pickled tuna.

[@donjones4719]

Think of it as better than rotten shark. A favorite in Iceland but idk if their troops carry it. Perhaps it's banned by the Geneva Convention.

[@BlargBlarg-z7k]

ok... where did you purchase this?

[@bholdr----0]

Wait... did he just say 'Snassuages'? [rewind 10 sec] Yup. Snassuages. Lol. Great review- I'm going to try to find one of these (French rations are generally very good, they're up there with some of the Scandinavian stuff, but I am excited to try this one in particular). Cheers (this got my sub, and a +1, etc)

[@cleantheflat1sett]

Pretty good narration. Good viewing experience. :)

[@capnsassyjas2878]

Points for Schlitz beer glass.

[@Persian-Immortal]

fun fact, one French mre cost the same as one Russian army company's meal allowance.

[@jackwalker9492]

That is one high speed looking kettle!

[@WVGato]

I have gotten several of these in a deal on eBay, we always eat the potted meat and the potted cheese products together on the salted biscuits, it is pretty good in that form. Kind of like meat and cheese crackers.

[@Uncooked_Ravioli]

Try heating the cheese. It's supposed to be consumed melted on a cracker.

[@petesheppard1709]

It looks tasty indeed, but how well does it field strip and ruck? It seems pretty bulky and fragile.

[@GuppyEngstrom]

How much would one of these cost. As well as most Mre's what do they cost.

[@carrisasteveinnes1596]

Any link as to where that kettle can be bought? Haven't seen anything quite like it, but that is from a Mom's basement viewpoint...still, what a gourmet delight that ration is!

[@Raycheetah]

Pretty sure that kettle is or equivalent to the Farberware kettle teh missus bought, at Walmart, if memory serves. Works wonderfully fast! =^[.]^=

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

Enjoying seeing how our allies and foes fed their troops when hot chow wasn't an option. Night and Day differences especially later in the war.

[@Normandy-e8i]

Thanks for the video. nice editing

[@sven_86]

Thanks for taking my recommendation (and Im sure others too) to try out the RCIR! God bless and thank you for your service!

[@ryancraig536]

Where do you get these?

[@ferdonandebull]

Well the picnic knife would have done a much better job opening the package.. that is the problem with a “combat knife” you can cut a throat but it is hard to peel a tater..

[@MREScout]

More for dramatic effect... carried that sucker on my body armor for a year in Iraq, never used it for anything than scaring wise ass kids. The little pocket knife or the gerber multitool did all the work.

[@keithmartin9002]

What opinel knife is the one u r using

[@jasonrodriguez463]

Nice review.

[@MREScout]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Rob_F8F]

French general with the all-female protection detail.....As Mel Brooks said, It's good to be the General!

[@pnw_element9822]

My question is where do u get these kinds of MRE?

[@thornil2231]

He eats the deserts before the main course... In the french army you get jail time for that.

[@petewarrell3734]

I know people that would eat them 2 cans and say what's for dinner I don't think enough to fill the gut Protein ok I get it .. but no filler there A cat could eat one can .. But good show buddy Hello from. Canada 🇨🇦 👋👋👋🙏

[@user-aero68]

Green mint tea is a north african thing, it is usually drunk hot and very sweet.

[@christophe77700]

The 2 cans of main dishes must be reheated on the food warmer included in the ration box. Putting them in hot water seems to me to be largely insufficient.

[@Neriohn]

"An army walks on its stomach" (Napoleon Bonaparte) A well feeds soldier is an efficace soldier

[@MREScout]

And the scraps of ribbon you pin to their chests.

[@elktrip2000]

Where the heck did you find this French MRE.