Hello everyone. This is Tsukui from WAITER-U, running a cafe like a campsite in Shimokitazawa. Today, I'd like to talk about the staple foods I always buy when I go solo camping. I mentioned in a previous broadcast that I generally procure ingredients locally, but when I choose a campsite, I try to choose one that has a roadside station nearby.
Since roadside stations usually close around 4 PM, I always schedule my trips to leave the city in the morning, arrive at the campsite around lunchtime to eat, and then head to the roadside station, so that I can finish my shopping before it closes.
When I arrive at the roadside station, there are a few things I always buy. The first is thick-sliced bacon. I buy just enough to finish in one night. It makes a great snack with drinks, and for breakfast the next morning, I'll fry bacon and eggs, so I definitely buy thick-sliced bacon. It goes well with alcohol, and the sound and aroma of frying bacon in the morning whet your appetite. Bacon eaten at a campsite is the best.
The second is butter. Although this can be bought at supermarkets and not just roadside stations, I buy salted butter. Whether for grilling meat, spreading on toast for breakfast, or stir-frying with vegetables, butter is always useful, so I definitely buy it.
The third, depending on the season, is corn, which I absolutely buy. Most roadside stations sell it, so corn is a must-have. How do I eat it? I roast it on the campfire grill with the husk still on. To be precise, I place a trivet or a grill net on the fire pit and roast it on that. The corn husk acts like aluminum foil, and it gets perfectly roasted.
For eating the corn, instead of biting into it, I use a knife to shave the kernels off the roasted corn. The key is to shave it so the cob becomes a perfect rectangular prism. My go-to way to eat the shaved corn is with the butter I bought earlier and soy sauce.
Fourth is seasonal vegetables. I buy vegetables that can be side dishes for barbecue, such as asparagus and eggplant. Seasonal vegetables like shishito peppers are also great. I've made various dishes while camping, but in the end, grilling meat and simple side vegetables is the most delicious. So, I always buy side vegetables for barbecue.
1, 2, 3, 4… Is this the fifth one? From here on, it's more about cooking basics than food itself, but I buy small, pre-portioned packs of rinse-free rice, like Ziploc bags containing one or two go. Since I always eat rice no matter what, I cook it in a mess tin. In my case, instead of cooking plain white rice, I often make mixed rice, so
for the sixth and seventh items, I buy ingredients for mixed rice. For me, takana (pickled mustard greens) and mentaiko (spicy pollack roe) are my regulars. With these, I generally have everything I need. And then, there's alcohol. Ice is essential for the cooler box, and if there's local sake available, buying a bottle and drinking it is also nice. I buy an amount of alcohol that I can finish.
Buying just these items is usually enough. It typically costs around 3,000 yen. If I buy a bit more alcohol, it gets a little more expensive, but if I buy more than that, I usually end up with leftovers that I have to take home in the cooler box. When camping, it's best to have just enough food to finish. There's no waste, and I think it's the best way to shop.
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