WHere?! Nomad Local Blog

Cooking is an art, but when you’re traveling, it turns into a survival skill that you have to learn if you want to save money. The payout: having a restaurant meal everyday, everywhere.

During my first long trip, I volunteered in a hostal in Bucharest, Romania, and there I met a guy from Malaysia who was traveling with spices in his backpack.

In the beginning, I didn’t understand. When you travel, it’s easier to go with the less possible (I’m going to dedicate a single article to this issue), but bringing herbs and condiments was the last thing I could bring.

But then, during the breakfast, he made eggs for everyone. That day, I realized why he was bringing spices with him!

The art of low-budget cooking

Everything was in that dish, it was delicious. The question was, how did he make something so simple, like scramble eggs, into a really tasty dish? Well, were those spices.

He was another guy traveling with a low-budget and volunteering (one of the traveling tricks without money; I tell you more in this article), and to survive in this kind of traveling, it was necessary to know how to mix the cheapest ingredients.

“The question was, how did he make something so simple, like scramble eggs, into a really tasty dish? Well, were those spices”

Normally, they are the greatest, but you have to know how to use them. First, the cheapest ones you can buy are tomoto, potatoes, onions, and peppers.

Meat is more expensive, nevertheless, there are some supermarkets where you can find it with discounts if they are about to expire, like Billa or Tesco in Europe, but you have to cook it soon. Or try local markets as well!

You can mix these basic four ingredients with rice, pasta, lentils, eggs, beans, bread and in salads (you can buy them for some €.60 half of kilo.)

But the most important things are spices; I suggest you get at least: black pepper, tumeric, garlic powder, basil (for pastas and eggs), parsley (for meat), chicken stock cubes, and chili flakes. You can learn more about spices on my Food Media YouTube channel, EscenciasMX.

Get them on shops (there are brand where 15 grams are € 0.2, and they can last for weeks.) Don’t buy them fresh, because they can be more expensive. And don’t worry; if you keep them in the bags, they’ll remain fresh and aromatic.

The Cheapest, the most delicious

Tomatoes to make red rice; peppers to make a sauce for pasta; potatoes to make a stew, these are some recipes you can make with cheap ingredients, around €2.5 for two days (less spices, you have to buy them before leaving home if it’s necessary).

Also on Where?!: Why did hosting travelers change my life? What to do before being a nomad

Every one of them is a basic food that you can use for 5 different dishes. Can’t you believe me? Let’s try it at least with tomatoes, potatoes, and onions!

• Tomato: As mentioned, red rice with any kind of cheap vegetable you found; eggs with red sauce (add basil and black pepper); red pasta with herbs; lentils (add onions), and soups with pasta.
• Potato: stew with meat (add garlic, black pepper, and chili); mix with peppers and basil; bake with herbs; garlic and potato cream, and croquettes.
• Onion: soup (with chicken stock powder and butter); cut them in juliennes and make pasta with eggs; salads like pico de gallo; fried with peppers, scramble eggs; or omelet (add spices.)

And you can make more dishes with other cheap ingredients; just don’t forget the spices and you’ll have all the necessary ingredients to eat healthy, like in a restaurant every place you travel. And even you can cook for your hosts and friends! It’s a kind gesture for being hosted.

I’ll bring the whole recipies in other articles. But for now, it’s enough to show you how you can save a lot of money with these recipes and for using it better for more important things like local dishes, It’s way more worth it!

Now enjoy your trips and cook like a restaurant!

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