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When most people think of military collectibles, guns, bullets, and assorted sharp objects are the first things that leap to mind. Today, many collectors worldwide opt for less violent (though, sometimes just as deadly) pieces for their display shelves.
Vacuum-packed military rations made by the lowest bidder may not be to everyone’s taste, but the military and culinary collecting markets are cooking up a storm with them. MRE stands for “Meal, Ready to Eat,” and such products are meant to be easy-to-consume portable rations for soldiers in combat or on extended field operations. Rarely popular with the soldiers they’re intended for, current American military slang refers to them as Meals, Rarely Edible.
A Little History
Rations have been in use since antiquity. Ancient Greek hoplites would carry a few days’ worth of food on a campaign (usually dry bread mixed with honey). The first modern attempts at a shelf-stable, portable daily ration occurred at the opening of the 20th century.
Britain devised the first tinned survival ration during the Boer War (a colonial conflict against Dutch settlers in South Africa). Consisting of ground beef and cocoa powder, it was “only to be opened under the direction of an officer.” The Americans quickly caught on and produced the famous Iron Ration during the horrific trench fighting seen in World War I. By World War II, most Western armies had refined the portable daily ration concept.
However, the term “MRE” was not invented until the 1980s. The Meal, Ready to Eat, Individual—to give it its full name—is the first truly modern ration. It is contained in a waterproof pouch and developed from the earlier tinned rations seen during the Vietnam War. “MRE” is now a catch-all term for portable rations produced worldwide.
YouTube Brings MREs to a New Audience
It is fair to say that MRE collecting is a fast-growing hobby, thanks to a niche group of military veterans, history buffs, and food connoisseurs bringing it to a mainstream audience. Much of this popularity has come from MRE “taste tests” on YouTube, some of which see people eating century-old rations.
The go-to YouTube expert for all things MRE is undoubtedly Steven Thomas (known on YouTube as Steve1989MREInfo). Steve has over two million subscribers on his channel and has his own Wikipedia page. Calling his channel a “virtual museum,” Steve has achieved fame for opening sometimes decades-old rations and tasting their contents. His health has stayed remarkably intact through all this, proving the value of the MRE concept.
However, ration packs are not only reviewed by online military experts like Steve. Many cookery and food channels are experimenting with opening and tasting MREs. One such channel is @emmymade (three million subscribers). Hosted by Emmy Cho, the channel features all manner of unusual edibles, including see-through bacon and Sprite pie. While Steve tends to test historical rations, Emmy opens and eats modern ones—but both YouTubers have been instrumental in bringing MREs to a new and expanding audience.
For those of us interested in sampling historical rations but less willing to risk acute food poisoning, some sellers even put together replica MREs complete with fully edible (and safe) contents. While retailing for less than the original rations, they can still hold value.
Interesting MRE Finds
The huge size and global reach of the American armed forces means that United States-produced MREs dominate the modern market. Perhaps the least-loved American ration ever is the infamous Menu No. 6, Frankfurters, Beef. Debuting in 1993, they immediately achieved near-legendary status as one of the worst MREs ever spawned, becoming known as “the four fingers of death.” Wisely discontinued in 2000, some poor soldiers were issued them in the field as late as 2006. Due to the awful meal quality, quartermasters were reluctant to issue it, meaning that many surplus units are still available today and can be picked up for as little as $15.
American rations can fetch higher prices when sold in job lots (often boxes of twelve or twenty-four). The price will heavily depend on the condition and whether any particularly noteworthy meals are included. One box of a dozen MREs from 1983 recently sold for around $100.
CIA “Sock Rations” were produced in the 1980s and used by American military personnel and civilian contractors. Small enough to fit into an Army sock, their contents were a closely guarded state secret. All they contained were a small can of meat, some biscuits, coffee, and sugar—enough food to keep one man alive for a day. Today, they are rare, and sealed ones can fetch around $250.
Because so many American rations have been produced, they usually fetch lower prices than rations from other nations. The Australian Army 24-hour Menu D CR1M Ration is a particular case in point. Despite this ration being modern, sealed versions can sell on the American market for anything up to $100, and this price tag is steadily increasing.
Italian ration packs rarely appear on the domestic market. When they do, expect to pay high prices to add one to your collection. Of note is the MRE Module F, one of which fetched over $300 not so long ago. The value of this ration is likely to steadily increase.
Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army) ration packs are becoming popular, probably due to added interest in the Chinese military as tensions rise across East Asia. Steve recently did a taste test of one from 2011 on his channel. The quality of PLA rations is generally poor compared to Western nations. Back in 2021, a PLA Menu No. 9 could be picked up for as little as $30.
Final Thoughts
Collecting MREs is a great way for people who have never served in the armed forces to gain a personal understanding of the military experience. Those interested in preserving (rather than sampling) rations are performing important historical work for future generations. This is especially the case when buying rarer MREs or MREs produced by foreign nations.
Matthew Doherty is a writer, editor, and teacher specializing in all things history-related. His work has been published in the UK Defence Journal, the Small Wars Journal, and The Collector. He holds an MSc from the University of Edinburgh and a BA from the University of Leeds. In his spare time, he also writes science fiction stories.
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