I Recreated Germany's 1867 Army Ration — A Whole Bowl of Soup in One Small Block

In 1867, Germany created Erbswurst — a compact pea-based ration designed to turn into a hot meal when needed. More than 150 years later, I’m recreating this forgotten German survival food from scratch. Erbswurst began as a concentrated pea food made with ingredients such as pea flour, fat, bacon, onion, salt, and seasonings. Its compact sausage-like form made it practical to transport and portion, and it became closely associated with the Prussian military. In this recreation, I use green mung beans and red adzuki beans as a modern substitute for the traditional pea base. The beans are soaked, steamed, blended into a paste, dried, ground into powder, and combined with bacon, pork fat, vegetables, and seasonings. The result is transformed step by step: beans → paste → dried sheet → powder → solid ration → hot soup What began in Berlin in 1867 eventually became much more than military food. Erbswurst was used by generations of travelers, hikers, campers, and German families before production finally ended in 2018. Today, I wanted to bring this forgotten food back and understand why such a simple idea survived for more than 150 years. Do you remember Erbswurst? Did your parents or grandparents keep it at home or take it camping? Tell me your memories in the comments. Subscribe for more forgotten foods, historical survival recipes, old-fashioned cooking methods, and foods from the past brought back to life. #Erbswurst #SurvivalFood #ForgottenFoods #GermanFood #MilitaryRation ⚠️ FOOD SAFETY DISCLAIMER This video is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Food-preservation results may vary depending on ingredients, equipment, temperature, hygiene, storage conditions, and local food-safety regulations. Always follow current guidance from trusted food-safety authorities. Do not consume food that shows signs of spoilage, contamination, damaged seals, unusual odors, mold, swelling, or leakage. -------- Contact / Business inquiries: [email protected]