1. D-ration bar
This may sound odd, but in all fairness, it is just a chocolate bar. Yet, what you may not know about it is the fact that Hershey’s is the one who made them. Back in World War II, the military approached the chocolate manufacturer to make them in order to be able to give their troops more energy during combat.
Apparently, they requested for the bars to be high in energy, weigh 4 ounces, be able to withstand high temperatures, and for them “to taste a bit better than a boiled potato”. The reason for that was to not have a chocolate bar be so tasty the military would eat it in their free time too.
This resulted in the “D ration bar,” a blend of chocolate, skim milk powder, cocoa butter, sugar, and oat flour, that was too viscous to be able to use machines and the factories had to put them into the molds by hand. The military got what they wanted, there are testimonies from military personnel that would have preferred to eat a boiled potato instead of the chocolate, but it did help the troops storm the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion so they did serve their purpose.
2. “Biscuits”
They were more like crackers, but they became a staple in army rations over time. They were not so beloved by military people but they were needed. Due to them being made with only water and flour, they dried very easily and could last for ages, which is why they were preferred when being added to rations. They were called biscuits or crackers, but they were actually hardtack and they were bread replacements.
They were also used as bread because they never got moldy, they would last forever. A lot of soldiers like to add them to soups in order to make them more hearty and for the “biscuit” to get a bit more flavor. Potentially to also not break their teeth in the process either.
