Talyn
Emissary
The Smithsonian Institution notes that Americans have been consuming chocolate since colonial times and points to the Continental Army’s use of it during the Revolution, as detailed in its examination of chocolate as a fighting food.
dorindaschocolates.com
Of all foods, why chocolate? Because of its caffeine and high calorie content, it was a reliable source of energy for soldiers on the front. Chocolate consumption among Americans dates back to colonial times. For George Washington and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary chocolate was a crucial, nutrient-dense ration for soldiers, valued for its high caloric, energy-boosting properties and ability to boost morale. It was typically consumed as a thick,, bitter drink—rather than a solid bar—and was sometimes used as, or in place of, military currency. would have consumed chocolate as a hot beverage, for example.
www.mountvernon.org
By World War II chocolate had become a staple of military rations.
americanhistory.si.edu
Even then, chocolate’s value was not only nutritional. It was psychological, a reminder that life extended beyond cold marches and unappetizing food.
That psychological dimension became unavoidable once the U.S. military entered World War II and attempted to feed a global force at industrial scale. The Army Quartermaster Corps needed food that could survive every environment, fit inside a pocket and perform predictably under stress, priorities documented by the Smithsonian’s research on wartime ration development.
Easy to carry, this K-ration supper would have given to American troops while in the field
and behind enemy lines. In addition to survival food and chocolate, it also contained toilet
paper, cigarettes, matches, and gum.
www.militarytimes.com
The result was Field Ration D, which the Hershey Community Archives describes as a purpose-built survival food, rather than a morale item.
The bar’s reputation was earned. It was dense, bitter and designed to be eaten slowly, delivering roughly 600 calories per serving. Army specifications required that it taste only “a little better than a boiled potato.” Soldiers did not need to enjoy it. They needed it to exist when everything else failed.
Heat and humidity erased margins for error. Even though rations became liabilities, the Army’s needs shifted from merely heat resistant to reliably heat proof. In 1943, Hershey developed the Tropical Chocolate Bar, designed to withstand extreme temperatures while improving flavor to be more palatable.
As with many other products, chocolate's wartime production helped it develop into a mass consumer food in the decades after the war.
How Chocolate Helped America Win it's Independence
Chocolate has a very involved history with the birth of the United States and the American revolution. The founding fathers didn’t quite have the access to handcrafted chocolate, sea salt caramels, and luxury truffles as we know them today. However, they did have a close proximity to South...
dorindaschocolates.com
Of all foods, why chocolate? Because of its caffeine and high calorie content, it was a reliable source of energy for soldiers on the front. Chocolate consumption among Americans dates back to colonial times. For George Washington and the Continental Army during the Revolutionary chocolate was a crucial, nutrient-dense ration for soldiers, valued for its high caloric, energy-boosting properties and ability to boost morale. It was typically consumed as a thick,, bitter drink—rather than a solid bar—and was sometimes used as, or in place of, military currency. would have consumed chocolate as a hot beverage, for example.
The Washingtons and Chocolate
www.mountvernon.org
By World War II chocolate had become a staple of military rations.
“Chocolate is a Fighting Food!”: Chocolate bars in the Second World War
Even then, chocolate’s value was not only nutritional. It was psychological, a reminder that life extended beyond cold marches and unappetizing food.
That psychological dimension became unavoidable once the U.S. military entered World War II and attempted to feed a global force at industrial scale. The Army Quartermaster Corps needed food that could survive every environment, fit inside a pocket and perform predictably under stress, priorities documented by the Smithsonian’s research on wartime ration development.
Easy to carry, this K-ration supper would have given to American troops while in the field
and behind enemy lines. In addition to survival food and chocolate, it also contained toilet
paper, cigarettes, matches, and gum.
How chocolate became one of the US military’s most important WWII rations
In 1937, the Army approached the Hershey Company with a blunt request: Create a high-calorie chocolate bar that's intentionally unpleasant.
www.militarytimes.com
The result was Field Ration D, which the Hershey Community Archives describes as a purpose-built survival food, rather than a morale item.
The bar’s reputation was earned. It was dense, bitter and designed to be eaten slowly, delivering roughly 600 calories per serving. Army specifications required that it taste only “a little better than a boiled potato.” Soldiers did not need to enjoy it. They needed it to exist when everything else failed.
Heat and humidity erased margins for error. Even though rations became liabilities, the Army’s needs shifted from merely heat resistant to reliably heat proof. In 1943, Hershey developed the Tropical Chocolate Bar, designed to withstand extreme temperatures while improving flavor to be more palatable.
As with many other products, chocolate's wartime production helped it develop into a mass consumer food in the decades after the war.
