Simple yet yummy food when camping

I have no idea what your camping experience was like or what food you ate while going camping but I have been on various camping trips around Cambodia, say at least on mountains. It is amazing, especially when I am food lover and I am in charge of the logistics and arrangement. I made sure my team are happy and so food must be something to fill their stomach after tiring days.

Grilled fish from the local lake, yummy!

 

This article is going to show you about how we eat while on camping tour, especially hiking up on the mountain so food is very hard to bring. Even it is not like what we eat at home, it turns out to be yummy, easy and do not make any camping experience worse but more fascinating!

What sort of food we cook?

• Food that is easy and simple to make, local materials or sources is preferred. Fish, chicken or beef that can be cooked by just grilling or put them on fire. These only needs to go with a sauce or dip sauce.
• Food that is popular locally, try something that is normally eaten by locals. 
• Instant coffee/noodle - normally I don't suggest instant noodle because you really need energy to walk up and down. At some points, when the weather is cold, you need something heavy with vitamins.
• Simple utensils: a rice pot and a frying pan for cooking and a kettle for boiling water. No barbecue tool is needed while in forest, you will just need a bamboo stick.

The arrangements?

** If it is same-day visit, you can pack lunch or breakfast with you from the village. No need to trouble cooking in the forest.

** If overnight camping, you will need a proper meal which include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Village people know best how to do it, just hire them to go with your team. Giving them job and incomes to serve you while you enjoy your trip.

• Breakfast: egg/salted egg, dried fish or marinade pork or beef, sausage and rice.
• Lunch and dinner: if by yourself, making something very simple like grilled fish with dip sauce.
• Soup is rarely cooked while on trip except when you hire forest cook 
• Stir fry - common - with vegetables 
• Grill - most common as it is very easy to make.
• Super: sweet potato or corn grilled in the fire
• Drink: Wine/Beer

** Hire forest cooks/local guides: 10$-20$/day/ person depending on how big or small group you are, how far or near your destination is and how extreme the trail is.

** Tent/Camping gears: you can always bring your gears or just hire it from the local community for your group. I suggest hiring from the local people.

Tent hired from local and from the companies

Local guides and forest cook bringing up the gears. The visitors bring less 

I hope you enjoy reading about my experience. Feel free to ask if you have any other questions about camping in Cambodia.

Until my next article, happy guiding.

Did you have similar experience?

November 13, 2020

Sophea