Homework #2: Civil War soldier’s diet

Posted on by
Reply

If I had a choice, I would rather keep food than coffee. Coffee has a long history in the United States. When people are getting more knowledgeable, they start noticing the bad influence of caffeine to our human health. However, by reading the two articles about Civil War soldier’s diet, I can understand their uncontrollable love for coffee. The soldiers were living in a tough environment, the government couldn’t provide the soldiers with enough amount of food or any tasteful food. They live on the battlefield with fear but they couldn’t get enough energy from the lack of food supply. Therefore, the union soldiers put their hopes on coffee to enrich their taste bud and mind. The coffee not only keeps them awake from the tiredness, but also it was the only warm drink that could comfort their minds after coming back from the battlefield. It’s not a choice they willing to make, and also they weren’t having a choice to begin with.

Food is the only real item that can provide nutrition and health to human body. Too much intake of the caffeine can cause problems to the human body. Sometimes people keep on drinking coffee because they lack energy and tiredness continue to hinder the productivity in their jobs. However, the results of caffeine intake put a big burden on the body. If it’s me, I rather eat well, sleep early, and get the full energy to work or study than using coffee as a stimulant for energy.

The image that I post is Korean food. Even though it is just a simple soup with the white rice and two small side dishes, I still cannot live without Korean food in my life because I like the culture a lot.

korean food

Homework #2

Posted on by
Reply

Coffee has played a big role in this country, especially back in the early 1800’s. After reading the article, I came to realize how coffee was so important to the  troops; drinking coffee gave soldiers encouragement and strength to keep on going. In the 10th paragraph, I found the part where it said they would consider coffee a weapon pretty funny, because they put their trust so much in this liquid they believed gave them some kind of power to do better. I myself love coffee, it has helped me stay awake when I lack of sleep, it has helped me throughout tough days. If i had to choose between coffee and food, I would pick Food without a second thought; because it would provide me with the nutrients my body needs. I think i wouldn’t be able to  survive just eating  a hardtack as a everyday meal, We need a lot of nutrients to keep ourselves healthy and strong  then again  a hardtack with a nice cup of coffee doesn’t sound that bad too right?

Hw#2

Posted on by
Reply

I understand that how important it is for the solider during the war. It was the only thing that can wake them up and focus on war instead of putting their life in danger and not dying, unlike now days they prepare some other healthier foods for the solider. It is hard to give up coffee, you can get addicted to coffee and is hard to live without it. It is not good for your life. I think if I have a choice, I would like to choose food that provides us vitamins, protein and some other healthy things in it. The picture that I posted is Luke’s Lobster under the Brooklyn Bridge.It is one of the best lobster rolls in the area, the crispy of the bread and the lobster is so fresh that you can taste the sea.

img_1256

Homework #2 Civil War, Rice and Coffee

Posted on by
Reply

kimchi-friedrice

If I had a chance to choose what I can give up, I would give up coffee. We all know protein gives you the most energy and power. Coffee would wake me up all day and night. But eventually some points, it will take my health away, and lose focus and lead me to death. I would not want that even that make me awake for a long time. I understand why the soldiers dependence on coffee at that time. They were in danger, and could not go to sleep because they would not know what would happen at any time. They had to awake all the times. If they could take rice and coffee together, it would be a good combination.

However, since our question is to choose one from the rice and coffee, my choice is rice instead of coffee.

The picture is showing ‘kimchi fried rice.’ It is one of the best and famous food in Korea and many people loves it. Simply just fry some rice with kimchi. 

Hw 2 food and coffee in the civil war

Posted on by
Reply

If I was a soldier during the Civil War, I don’t know if I would have made it. I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t survive off of meat and differently not potatoes, and pieces of bread. I need more proteins and vitamins in my diet to help me throughout the day. I love food, but I don’t think I can eat the same food over and over again, especially if it lacks flavor. Soldiers in the Civil War loved coffee because it gave them energy and it was a sense of comfort. Commercial’s these days make coffee seem like it is the only thing that you would want and need, but I don’t like coffee.

I find it strange that some people can’t start there day without first drinking a cup of coffee. I never felt the need to drink coffee because I’m always drinking tea. Coffee is very bitter unless you sweeten it. If the soldiers ran out of sugar they were forced to drink bitter coffee.

I personally love green vegetables and seafood. I get my daily vitamins and protein by eating this often. I don’t mind eating this over again because I can always give it different seasonings to spice things up.

veggie and fish

veggie and fish

HW #2 Civil War Soldier’s Diet.

Posted on by
Reply

image

Any vegetable is the food that I cannot live without. I love their colors, flavors, and textures. I am not vegetarian yet they account for a big percentage of my diet.

What I found really fascinating about the Civil War soldier’s diet was, how coffee was almost like an indispensable weapon to fight. And not only gave them strength to fight, keep them alive in battle, but also the sentimental attachment by consider coffee the only warm thing they had. I relate to this feeling for coffee of the soldiers, with my personal love for coffee. A cup of black coffee for me is a throwback in time when I was nine years old and I waited every morning and afternoon for a sip of coffee from my grandma’s cup. Always dark, hot, and sweet.

Alison Yan, Homework #2 Food and Coffee

Posted on by
1

rice

If I had a choice, I rather give up coffee and have food for the rest of my life.  I grew up in Eastern China and the main starch of our day was rice.  Rice was the essential item in every meal to go along with other side dishes to flavor the rice.  When I was growing up, I had rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I lived on an island and the back of our house had our neighbor’s rice patty field.  I did not have cereal and milk for breakfast or coffee shops.  So consciously I do not yearn for coffee as people who grew up around coffee would. In addition, I do not enjoy the taste of coffee because it’s bitter. Coffee with milk taste good but I am lactose intolerant so I don’t drink latte a lot.

Reading the two articles I realized the importance of coffee to the Civil War soldiers.  As mentioned in the article by Grinspan the word “coffee” is mentioned in the soldiers’ journal entries more often than combat weapons.  To the soldier’s coffee, it was the start of their morning. Soldiers would have conversation about coffee like men about the morning newspaper. Returning to base to a cup of coffee was their way to keep on going and fighting.  The food the soldiers had did not sound very sanitary like the puddle water used to brew coffee. Later on there was the United States Sanitary Commission who started to provide healthier and nutritious meals for the men who never stepped into a kitchen.  Meals were not always tasty but the soldiers would eat the bread last to wipe the remains off their plate or wet the bread in coffee.  Overall, coffee was an essential item to the soldiers’ meals just like how rice is essential for my meals.

HW #2: Food and Coffee in the Civil War

Posted on by
Reply

I was completely unaware of how important coffee was for the soldiers during the Civil War prior to reading the two articles. Their diet was not that great or healthy for that matter most meals consisted of meat, potatoes and a piece of bread. Although the job of The Sanitary was to take care of the soldiers health and nutrition while supplying reliable food this was overlooked most of the times because of the army’s large size. So the food that was cooked lacked in flavor and variety as the soldiers sometimes ate the same thing twice in a day. I can see how that could happen especially since they didn’t have a lot of cooking and kitchen skills at the time. So they were feed just enough to keep them from starving. Surprisingly, coffee seemed to be something that they all looked forward to during supper time. Coffee for the soldiers was a sense of comfort and safety. It powered soldiers through battle and relived the survivors afterwards. They made it from anything they could and took it everywhere with them this is how important it was to them.

I personally have a love for coffee and sometimes even depend on it to keep me going throughout the day so I can relate to the soldiers a little. I sometimes try to take a break from the caffeinated beverage because I drink it almost everyday, mostly iced coffee. But If I had to choose between food and coffee I would have to say I wouldn’t want to give up eggs. I absolutely love them, served in any form especially as a omelet and don’t forget the cheese please!

mushroomomelet scrambledeggs