This is going to be a long, continuous post that I hope to update every time I try another package. Dehydrated food is a staple in any backpacker's bag on a long trip, as they provide yummy calories and only require hot water. Sometimes, the companies hit the spot with their meals, while other times, I've been forced to throw it away after one bite. I will be rating all the packets I try on this blog (with some help from my friends).
NOMAD NUTRITION - Caribbean Curry
4/5 Stars
As with all Nomad Nutrition packages, you get a small, vegan meal packed with nutrition and calories. The Caribbean Curry receives a solid 4/5 stars due to its flavour. It has a mild spice level and the overall seasoning was just right - not too salty or bland. Even though I poured too much water into the bag, the flavour of the curry was very noticable. The package also has a good assortment of veggies. The only reason it is not a 5/5 star product is because I felt there was not enough "bite" to the meal. There were two large pieces of dehydrated broccoli, and the rest of the content were small grains of quinoa and potatoes.
MOUNTAIN HOUSE - Lasagna with Meat Sauce
5/5 Stars
This freeze-dried package of lasagna was everything I was looking forward to on my early-morning hike up Petgill lake. The package contained a whopping 620 calories, and it only took 9 minutes for the food to be ready. The freeze-dried ground beef was well seasoned, and the lasagna noodles were not mushy. Overall, it was a fantastic and filling meal for the long day. The only downside: lack of veggies; but hey, just bring lettuce ;)
NOMAD NUTRITION - Kathmandu Curry
4/5 Stars
A complete meal with rice, beans, and other goodies, Nomad Nutrition has done a fantastic job with this small package. This curry also contains five-spice, which is perfect for soothing the stomache after long days of eating (probably) not the healthiest foods. The taste of curry is subtle and not overpowering, and the long basmati rice rehydrates to a perfect bite: not mushy nor hard. My only issue is the chickpeas which were still hard after 10 minutes of rehydrating. It did provide a crunch that contrasted the other ingredients, but I personally disliked the texture. Overall, it was a delicious meal to fuel any adventure.
BACKPACKER'S PANTRY - Shepherd's Potato Stew with Beef
2/5 Stars
Backpacker's Pantry has always been a staple in, well, backpackers. However, I would criticize they missed the mark on this meal. Starting with the texture, this meal lacks almost all texture. I understand it is a stew, but the bits of freeze-dried meat and dehydrated vegetables were quite mushy. Furthermore, the meal had an odd sour taste which I attributed to the tomatos. First of all, why are there tomatos in a shepher's potato stew; secondly, I don't believe the tomatos rehydrated properly which caused some spoonfuls of "stew" to have an overwhelming tomato-sour taste. I still love Backpacker's Pantry; in fact, I believe they are the best bang-for-your-buck and a low-risk brand when trying new flavours. I simply would not recommend this package unless you hate texture and love tomatos.
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