Really more of a role-play tradeskill, one that I've leveled up quite high myself.
Why carry around a stack of dusty 'Rations' when your character can have a permanent +2 to STR? Beer Braised Bear is easy to make and bear meat is plentiful on merchants if you bother to look in EC and other 'bear-heavy' spots like Misty Thicket.
I always have at least two stacks of Beer Braised Something to nom. No reason not to once you spend a bit of time raising your trivial
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Here's the trick though: They only add to your statistics if they're the FIRST food item in your inventory. Smart people will still carry some kind of secondary food to munch on every twenty minutes or so to preserve your crafted +bonus food.