We’ve never reviewed military rations or survival food as a ‘fashionable trend’ in this space before. But the time has apparently come. And it’s supposed to burst into full flower by this time next year…
Blame COSTCO. The legendary ware-house-style discounter of just about everything made the headlines this past week offering a new ’emergency food supply’.
What it is
it’s essentially a large plastic storage tub with a weather-proof lid, which comes filled with freeze-dried food. Enough, the label says, for 150 meals. And it’s advertised as havi9ng a shelf life of 25 years. Just in case.
It’s not unlike other products available at outdoor stores and online. But the other brands are the fruits of an ‘out-doors’ and ‘survival’ mindset. This offer-ing transcends the realm of basic ‘Meals Ready To Eat’ (MREs).
Get out the linen napkins
The package, provisioned by Readywise, comprises a fairly fancy menu:
- 12 servings of Pasta Alfredo.
- 12 servings of Cheesy Macaroni
- 6 servings of Teriyaki Rice
- Creamy Pasta and Vegetables
- Potato Pot Pie
- Tomato Basil Soup with Pasta
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- 12 servings of Brown Sugar & Maple Multi-Grain, and Apple Cinnamon Cereal.
- 6 servings of Crunchy Granola
- 10 servings of White Rice
- 16 servings of Vanilla Pudding
- 24 servings of Whey Milk Alternative, and…
- 16 servings of Orange Drink.
A special offering
It appears the 150-meal deal is a special offering cobbled together exclusively for COSTCO. Like many exclusives the chain offers, it’s bigger and fancier than the manufacturer’s standard version. The reg-ular slate of Readywise survivial and emergency rations tops out at 120 meals.
Not unique
The luxe survival menu from Readywise is not unique. Food & Wine toured the annual Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in New York City last month. Reporter Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner des-cribed the affair as, “three days of unlimited food samples, masterclasses, panels, keynote talks, and more culinary-centric experiences…”
She spotlighted a number of à la carte long-shelf life meals, from select vendors which have been making waves with the upper crust…
- Salsa Queen’s freeze-dried salsa which has a three-year shelf life
- Arctic Farms’ freeze-dried ice cream (which certainly won’t melt on a hot day)
- Crispy Green’s fruit and veggie snacks
- Full meals, like Jane Foodie’s Flash-Frozen Guinness Beef Stew (sold in a very aesthetic can)… and
- Brooklyn Delhi’s Ready-in-90-Seconds Chickpea Tikka Masala .
And that, of course, is just a tiny sample of what’s already available out there. if it is truly a trend, just wait until next year!
Maybe not such a good idea?
“Social media has made food trends even worse,” Top Chef host Kristen Kish said in an interview at Fancy Food Show. “The uniqueness of something gets completely lost as soon as we start following the same trend. What a boring bland world if everyone’s doing the same version of something.”
But Hoeffner counters: “Trends offer an opportunity to express yourself, add a bit of individuality to the mainstream, and get excited about something new. They’re also a nice way to feel connected in our isolated, screen-addicted society.”
Fair enough.
My take
I have chosen not to squirrel-away any kind of ’emergency’ or ‘survival’ food supply. And if I did, I’d opt for a more-basic (and less-costly) option than the Readywise package. Although, COSTCO is currently featuring the tub-of-the-day at an attractive (US)$99.
I have faith enough to go with with the flow, whatever the future has in store for me. But I may change my mind if former president Donald Trump wins the election in November…
~ Maggie J.