We always enjoy hearing from Sporkful Eaters in faraway places, including troops serving around the globe. We're glad to hear our podcast helps those stationed abroad pass the time or get a taste of home.

Whenever I read a comment or e-mail from folks in the military, I always think of the indestructible rations they're issued for long treks. Several in my family were in the Army, so leftover "Meals, Ready-to-Eat" were an occasional novelty meal when I was growing up. It wasn't until I got older that I learned MREs have something in common with pricey room service in the fanciest hotels.

Both include tiny, tiny glass condiment containers, like little jars of jam in hotels, or lilliputian ketchup bottles in the case of MREs. I get why a tony hotel would choose relatively classy jars over plastic packaging. (And believe me, at Sporkful, we know something about condiment packaging, as you can see in one of our early Slate videos.) But I've always wondered why the military insists on glass containers. I would think they'd prefer something lighter and less breakable.

In any case, I'd like get a hold of a few of the tiny bottles of hot sauce often found in ration packets. Since I only need a dash or two at a time, I'd much rather have the micro bottle that takes up less space. By the way, if you're interested in what troops around the world eat in the field, I highly recommend this photo essay. /mark