World War Two cooking.

Is it a "# on a shingle", or appreciating mom's carrots and peas at home?
And in some places they still had rationing.

Well, some inspiration so far:

What did World War II soldiers eat?

lots of rationing, even in the USA.

China, Japan and USSR suffered massive hunger. wild nettles were very popular.
Parts of India starved.
Greece went very hungry. Germany loaded up all their figs and oranges and sent them to the Africa Korps.
England rationed. they made do with stuff like powdered eggs and canned snoek.
not much fish in England as most of the boats were commandeered or sunk.
even in the USA there was rationing.

to this day Spam is hugely popular around the Pacific.

originally posted by: halfoldman
What did World War II soldiers eat?

Exactly what my Dad called it but he must have liked it cause my Mom cooked it enough for breakfast in the 70s and 80s. I've made it myself a few times and I like it, except for the sodium is through the roof.

You'd be unlikely to be a fussy eater.

Yuck, boiled potatoes with carrots.

Stop dithering, think of the starving kids in Europe!

a reply to :ElGoobero

I've discovered a new love for Spam. My dad, who was Navy, would make it often, but I grew away from it in high school. Now I'll use it as a katsu, in fried rice, sandwiches, etc. I just keep it to a once-a-month thing due to the salt content.

originally posted by: ElGoobero
to this day Spam is hugely popular around the Pacific.

For the humor that Spam gets today, if it’s WWII and it’s Spam or starve because that’s what’s getting through, I’ll take the Spam!

originally posted by: gb540

originally posted by: ElGoobero
to this day Spam is hugely popular around the Pacific.

For the humor that Spam gets today, if it’s WWII and it’s Spam or starve because that’s what’s getting through, I’ll take the Spam!

Spam seems like it is the only thing that hasn't gone up in price.

a reply to: ElGoobero

We always had spam when I was young. It was something we stored for emergency use back in the sixties. We used to have bomb drills in school in the sixties, the school had a bomb shelter that was fully stocked for months and it would fit all the kids in the school. We calmly lined up to go in during the drills, which happened about once every two months or so....we loved getting out of class and socializing in line. These drills were replaced with fire drills where everyone got out into the parking lot and on the lawn later on in the late sixties to early seventies. I never got to go into the bomb shelter, but I guess they had spam and long term emergency supplies in that shelter along with a tiny kitchen area and one bathroom.

In our emergency supplies we have spam and corned beef. good foods for both survival and bug outs. We rotate it well, we have fried spam sandwiches or spam and eggs about once a month...there are about twelve cans of spam in rotation at all times...use one or more and buy a replacement when there is a good sale. It tastes good thinly sliced and fried. Even the cat likes spam, it is an acceptable replacement for bacon if we ever run out. We have about twenty two packages of bacon in stock in the freezer, enough for the cat to eat for twenty two weeks....he allows us to eat two slices out of a package without complaining.

a reply to: musicismagic

Might not of gone up in price but recently it was the first meat to be sealed behind locks during the pandemic lmao. But for real no, it's gone up a lot over the years. Cost as much as a lb of chicken.

When spam was created it was a scrap meat pressed alternative, made out of pretty much the same crap as today's hotdogs.. Making it cheap like a McDonald's dollar patty burger(if they still exist idk don't eat it.)

But no the price has tripled since the 90s . Use to be a dollar or two a can now it's nearly 5 most places.

a reply to: gb540

Spam has 15 flavor varieties now, too.

originally posted by: Hypntick
a reply to :ElGoobero

I've discovered a new love for Spam. My dad, who was Navy, would make it often, but I grew away from it in high school. Now I'll use it as a katsu, in fried rice, sandwiches, etc. I just keep it to a once-a-month thing due to the salt content.

I make a Kimchi stew that has Kimchi, spam and tofu.. My family will fight each other for it.
It is a very acquired taste, but when you grew up on it, it’s pure comfort food.

We also like Spam, eggs, rice and some seaweed paper. That is some good eating.
Probably not recommended if you have high blood pressure!

A bit heavy focus on the US (and rationing), but interesting nevertheless:

In Germany (outside the black market) was tapioca.

Yip they even made coffee from it.

It mostly came from Ghana.

Strangely though, it never became a trend, long after the war.

I recall reading about manioc, and the Amazon Indians grew that.

And my granny's like, yeah we ate that in the war.

Ooh - Tapioca Pudding.

A different plant: Sago pudding.

The problem with sago is, it's almost a pure carbohydrate.

No minerals or vitamins.

Alcohol - there's not much in that either.
But it does the job.

There might be a shortage of chicken, but there's no shortage of cock.

"Bubble and Squeak" - tasteless yet filling.

Let's use one spring onion and sawdust.

Vegetable Birjani: