Watch a Man Eat Civil War Rations From 1863

(via mental_floss) Hardtack is a simple biscuit made of little more than flour and water. Used for centuries as a nonperishable foodstuff on military expeditions and sea voyages, it was one of the primary rations given to Union soldiers during the Civil War. Union soldiers gave the hard-to-chew cracker all manner of unflattering nicknames from “teeth-dullers” to “worm castles,” and the cracker was said to be so hard, soldiers had to hit it with the butt of their rifle just to break off a piece.

YouTube user Steve1989 MREinfo decided he wanted to try it for himself. In the video above, Steve1989 MREinfo eats a piece of hardtack made for Union soldiers over a century and a half ago in 1863. This authentic Civil War hardtack is very likely the oldest cracker ever eaten.