The joys of combat food

Combat food seems to prove particularly divisive. It is the Marmite of culinary preparation:you either love it or loathe it. I’m firmly in the former camp.

Combat food isn’t specifically military, though there is a link. It refers to simple, no-nonsense, hearty fare, whose ingredients – typically from tins – can easily be thrown into a pot and quickly mixed, cooked, then poured into a large bowl (combat food doesn’t tend to work with delicate plates).

As I said, apparently divisive stuff. I once made the mistake of getting in touch with a then recent ex-girlfriend, thinking there was a chance of patching things up. Among a long and often impressively accurate list of my personal failings she sent back explaining why we would never meet again, she poured particular scorn on my terrible taste in food – especially my preference for combat food-type dishes.

There may be a touch of a gender divide when it comes to appreciating the joys of combat food.