cous cous heads: available along the trail?

[vernont7]

I've been planning food for my start date in a few weeks, and I just realized a vital mainstay of my planned camp diet might not be as readily available along the trail as I had hoped: Cous cous. I have been living in Austin, TX since Christmas and just went to check out the selection of cous cous at the local big time grocer here, HEB, and was slightly dismayed. This particular HEB is probably the biggest grocery store I have ever been in, and as far as any un prepared cous cous (e.g. NOT Near East brand boxes or prepackaged stuff) they had only ONE 7 dollar tub, next to a an incredilby huge assortment of different rice mixtures, thai noodles, and pasta. I figure if there is only one tub of straight cous cous in thus absurdbly huge supermarket, it might not be avaialbe in some smaller grocery stores along the trail. Does Texas just not like cous cous or am I mistaken in thinking cous cous can be bought along the trail? Should I put what I need in my mail drops?

Also, I understand that grits are ussually better stocked in grocery stores in the south than north. Likewise, could cous cous/quinoa availabiliy be a matter of proximity? More in the North maybe? I honestly have no idea about this one. Thanks!
-tim

[4eyedbuzzard]

You definitely won't find unprepared cous cous at many smaller stores even in the north, and if you do it will often only be the packaged variety even at larger groceries.

BTW, you really like cous cous? I've just never found either its taste or its texture as good as pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. Kinda like my opinion of grits (blech):D (now awaiting incoming from Yankee hating southern grit lovers:eek: )

[guthook]

I'm going to be eating plenty of couscous on the trail, but that's all going to come from mail drops from home. Between Maine and New York, I've found that plain cous cous is pretty hard to find most of the time, although when you do find it at a store, they tend to have a few varieties. I wouldn't count on finding it as commonly as spaghetti and potatoes, though.

[sarbar]

HEB is known for it's meat dept, not the meal accesories :D Seriously, that chain has the smallest produce section I have ever witnessed!

[Krewzer]

Check the rice section in small groceries. Many small town groceries must think it's a rice product. I suppose because it looks similar.

[Pokey2006]

Unfortunately, a lot of times you have to adjust your diet a bit on the trail, unless you rely on maildrops, and there are pros and cons to that. You might need to learn how to love the Middle East-type of couscous instead of the unprepared stuff. With some exceptions, most of the grocery stores you'll be relying on are in rural areas that cater to a more down-home eating style than you might be used to. Even whole-wheat bread or tortillas were hard to come by in some towns (a town without whole-wheat bread??? I'm still flabbergasted!).

So my advice is to be as flexible as you can with your diet, and be creative, too -- maybe there are alternatives such as orzo pasta or a rice product that you like that might be more readily available.

Good luck!

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

As others note - flexibility is going to be necessary to resupply at stores along the way.

::: lovingly prepares some genuine southern bacon and cheese grits for Buzzard... He's obviously not tasted this delicacy :::

[Slosteppin]

You might also look at health food stores and food cooperatives.
Those are the only places I find WW cous cous in northern Michigan.

A niece in Florida uses it a lot and can never find it in the big stores - only the healt food places.

Slosteppin

[vernont7]

thanks for the info---pokey & slosteppin, I definetely hear you on flexibility being an important aspect of a good trail dining attitude. out of curiousity, what are some new or old favorite cous cous based dishes you all enjoy on the trail? I've been debating trying to make a tabouli dish, I carry mint tea which could substitute for regular mint, and a thing of dry onions and parsley is ussually always handy. coupled with some pita or tortilla and dehydrated bean dip, that'd make a nice lunch wrap.. lemme know what you all like
-t

[sarbar]

Vernont7,
Some of my favorite couscous recipes are here:
http://www.freezerbagcooking.com/dinnerpastaetc.htm
~sarah

[highway]

I have little problem finding it in Florida at Publix or Winn Dixie, in multiple flavors, too. Now tabouli is better, I think, and we have it in the same stores. Either is great for hiking-just heat water and add, stir some and consume; goes great with about anything added to it. I prefer cutting up some hard Spanish chorizos in it, that don't require refrigeration.

[4eyedbuzzard]

As others note - flexibility is going to be necessary to resupply at stores along the way.

::: lovingly prepares some genuine southern bacon and cheese grits for Buzzard... He's obviously not tasted this delicacy :::

Well, bacon and cheese DOES sound appetizing. And since the dino's doctor, aka TNB, won't let the dino even nibble on bacon and cheese, I guess I'll have to try a double portion.:p :D

[Jack Tarlin]

On the Trail, check out the food selection at Bluff Mtn. Outfitters in Hot Springs. They have all sorts of good instant stuff, I think from a company called Fantastic Foods. In addition to cous-cous, their instant hummus is great. I always buy a bunch of stuff there, and mail it ahead. This sort of stuff isn't found in every market down South, but as you get further north, it'll be easier to find.

[Appalachian Tater]

I'm not sure what you mean by "unprepared couscous". It takes all day to roll couscous and steam it if you start from scratch. The only couscous I have ever seen in a grocery store is "instant", you add boiling broth or water, let it sit five minutes, and fluff.

[Pokey2006]

Ah, now I'm feeling nostalgic for the days when I had hoped to eat healthfully on the trail, lentils and barley and stuff...but ended up eating Liptons noodles with canned ham and cheese every night instead.

You can eat healthfully -- even find, or mail, your favorite couscous -- but you might be surprised how things change once you get out there. Which leads me to this thought: If you're relying on maildrops to get your "health food" supplies, start with only a couple of those drops. Then find a friend who can mail more to you -- if you still want them after a few weeks on the trail. You might be surprised at how much your tastes change after a little time on the trail. Your body ends up craving things you never would have expected.

[vernont7]

Appalachian Tater: by unprepared I just meant not in a prepackaged box with a spice packet, like how lipton does with noodles or vigo does with beans and rice. "Near East" is a common prepackager of box cous cous dishes. I just wanted the plain cous cous, like how you'd buy a plain bag of rice or pound of noodles. The plain cous cous I've seen ussually comes in a tub or you can buy it in bulk at health food stores. Definetely not trying to make it from scratch on the trail, though that might be fun.!

Pokey - Hm, yeah it seems common that 'tastes change' once you are out for a while. I've read that from a lot of people. I've never been on a long expedition like what I am about to undertake, so I don't know, maybe I'll be hating couscous and and craving spam or something in a week. thanks for your help!

[sarbar]

Near East actually does make a plain couscous, as does brands like Casabah and Fantastic Foods :)
And for what it is worth: the flavored ones are usually pretty good!