Food planing advice for Ecuadorian Amazon trip

[Richard A]

This is perhaps a slightly unusual call for ideas/advice, but i thought it worth a go as there are similar issues faced when planning remote trips of the backpacking variety.

Next week i’m accompanying a group of Americans into a remote community in the Ecuadorian Amazon for three nights. I think we’ll be around 8 people. One of my responsibilities will be to cook for them. There is no electricity, so it will all have to be done over fire. I’m still waiting to hear if there are any dietary requirements, but assuming not there will be access to fish (though i don’t know which) and possibly also chicken (of the tough, jungle variety that would need boiled). Yucca (manioc), verde (plantain), rice, and some fruit is locally available. Most other things will have to be take in by plane.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>

For breakfast, i’m just thinking of granola and fruit, and possibly eggs with some kind of bread that will last a few days in that climate. Tinned tuna salad could be an option for one of the luches (at least one other of the lunches will need to be of the ‘packed’ variety for a day trip by canoe), and for dinners i’m thinking possibly a chicken broth with yucca and other vegetables, lentils turned into some kind of dhal with rice, a pasta with tomato sauce… do you have any other advice, ideas, tips, recipes, additional ingredients worth packing in?

Thanks for any input!

[Matthew / BPL]

I love split red lentils with quinoa and any FD/fresh veggies. It cooks quickly and gets around any gluten/vegan problems.

[Richard A]

Thanks Mathew, that’s a great idea, and sounds really tasty! I haven’t seen split red lentils here, but green lentils are widely available, as is quinoa of course – something i’d overlooked, but as you say, is a good call for its speed of cooking and dietary flexibility. Much appreciated!

[Matthew / BPL]

Split lentils cook so much faster than whole lentils.

[Richard A]

I’ll have a look in one of the supermarkets to see if I can find split lentils, that makes sense, thanks.

Anyone else have further ideas either for specific recipes, or ways to go about thinking through planning something like this? I’ve planned meals/food for myself and others on multiday trips numerous times, and worked as a chef for a few years back in the day, but cooking for eight on a fire with no refrigeration etc, and in the context of visiting environmentalists interested in indigenous rights and with unknown expectations of standards, is kind of a new one for me. I’d like to use local ingredients as far as possible, and try to cook ‘real’ food as oppose to flying in loads of dried foods and nuts and things that I’d usually take to the mountains, but it’s challenging considering the circumstances!

 

 

[Five Star]

I’d think about bringing a spice rub for doing rotisserie chicken if I had access to fresh jungle fowl.  No need to boil them.  If you have access to fresh fish I’d bring some spices for them too.  If you’re not cooking them whole on a stick but rather have the chance to fry up some fillets, bring a nice sized aluminum skillet and some olive oil or ghee plus some spices and maybe some lemon.  Alternatively, I’d be interested in cooking local-style too.

[Richard A]

Thanks Five Star, a marinade sounds good, and isn’t very big or heavy to throw in the pack. The birds I’ve eaten in that area have been super tough, hence the boiling first, but maybe with some controlled roasting I could try without. I’m torn as to whether to take a skillet of some sort, apparently the community we’re visiting may have some pots/pans, but that’s as much as i know, may…

Thanks for the ideas

[Greg Pehrson]

When cooking for large groups, I think having dishes that are “scoopable” i.e. made in and served from a big pot, is a good idea, to take into account different appetites, and to simplify/ streamline cooking. Soups and rice (or rice-y soups) can be good for stretching meals/ portions. If you have plantains available to you, some tostones (twice-fried green plantains) or mangú (a Dominican savory mashed plantain dish) would be great with whatever protein you’ re serving—beans and rice, chicken or fish stew/ soup, etc.

I hope you have a wonderful trip, Richard.

-Greg

 

[Matthew / BPL]

I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels this way: everything tastes better when backpacking or camping. The simplest dish that would rate a 5 at home rates an 8 in the field. By that logic, tostones while camping would be a 17 on a 10 point scale for me.

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