Rice and beans are good to eat anytime and are probably the #1 basic food for long term storage. But both definately benefit from a piece of ham or pork thrown in the cooking pot.
But in a remote camp or a SHTF scenario we won't be able to take a leftover hambone out of the freezer or run to the food market for some ham hocks. And plain rice and beans will get pretty boring after the first fifty pound bag or two.
That's where an item called "Soup Base" will come in handy.
Throw about a tablespoon of soup base in with a pound of rice and beans and it flavors them nicely.
Dry "Soup Base" is used by professional cooks and places where larger quantities of food are prepared. It is similar to boullion powder and comes in various flavors like pork, beef, bacon, chicken, Turkey shrimp, vegetable etc. Not only can it be used as a base for soup or to flavor rice and beans, it also makes a good dry rub for meats.
Look for it in your local wholesale or commercial food warehouse.
Minors and Knorr are the brands I most commonly see but there are other brands as well as no-name generic. It usually comes in one or two pound cans and will keep almost indefinately, even after it is opened. It usually costs around $8 to $10 a pound in the local stores, a little more on the net. But since it is concentrated it doesn't take much to flavor a pot of beans and/or rice.
For more info: http://www.soupbase.com/Soup-Bases/departments/1/
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