Food
To help mark the passage of time, there are many celebrations throughout the ANARE year. The most important of these is the Midwinter Dinner, celebrated for the first time during Scott's 1901–1904 British Antarctic Expedition. Whereas early explorers such as Mawson dined on much simpler fare, today's expeditioners enjoy sumptuous feasts.
Food at the stations is prepared by a qualified chef, traditionally one of the most important people on station.
In an environment where people live and work closely together, and where a change in facilities and scenery is necessarily very limited, food plays a vital role in providing some variety on a daily basis.
The AAD is committed to providing a healthy and balanced diet for all expeditioners. Expeditioners with special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerant etc) are also catered for.
Eggs and fresh vegetables are available for the first few months after resupply and limited hydroponics produce is also grown on each station. Training for those maintaining these facilities is provided.
Once the fresh food is used up, expeditioners live mostly on frozen and canned food, supplemented to a small degree with hydroponically grown salad vegetables.
Food that is kept for a long time must be stored carefully, with the older stocks being used first.
Soft drinks (post-mix), sweets, chocolates and nuts are also supplied.
The food supply for a year is based on a food ration scale per person per year. The chef must make sure that all commodities are consumed in such a way that a variety of food is available for the year.
To discourage pilfering of favourite supples, some chefs have been known to hide delicacies, such as lobster for special occasions, in brussel sprout packets in the freezer!
All expeditioners take their turn to help in the kitchen, working the slushy roster.
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