Food Glorious Food... On a Budget

Sheep's cheese dumplings in Slovakia

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the fabulous Gülen Pide in Cannakale laughing with some new travel buddies about my ongoing obsession with food. I happily showed them my collection of photos showcasing our favourite dishes on this trip: sheep cheese dumplings (Bryndzové halušky) in Slovakia, fresh mussels with tomato and garlic in Bulgaria, chicken liver pasta in Hungary (I admit, I was anxious ordering that one - but it was so worth it!) and one of the best burgers I've ever had in the city of Prague.

It is not uncommon for travellers to Europe to come back a few kilos heavier. The vast array of food choices is overwhelming, with both local and international dishes in abundance. Personally, sampling all the different cuisines is one of my favourite aspects of travelling. In Chiang Mai, we adored the Green Mango cafe so much we spent a day with the owner visiting the local market and having a cooking lesson. In fact, visiting the local market is something I always try and do - I adore food markets, and the ones here in Europe are enough to make you weep!

But for many novice travellers eating on a budget equals living on gyros and pizza or canned tuna and rice in the hostel kitchen. We've seen it so often before - a group of friends huddled forlornly over a simmering pot of cheap pasta, or a traveller miserably chewing on an obscure potted meat sandwich. Once I watched a young group of South Americans almost add Vegimite to their pan of oily fish - as it was the only thing on the hostel's 'free food' shelf (I advised them to sample some first, at which point they abandoned the idea). 

Roast vegetables from the garden

However it needn't be that way. It is possible to eat cheaply and still enjoy beautiful, delicious and healthy food whilst travelling on a budget. The reason I emphasise the 'healthy' aspect is because whilst fast food may be quick, cheap and tasty; it can often wreak havoc on your blood sugar and energy levels - which won't make sightseeing or exploring cities particularly easy (or much fun). Add to that the inevitability of illness at some point, the likelihood of a few sleepless nights, the difficulty maintaining an exercise regime and the frequent nights out drinking with new travel buddies... it's a recipe for weight gain and poor health.

So whilst saving money is important, it's also crucial to ensure you're getting as many nutrients from your food as you possibly can and not living on processed junk. Fortunately, that often requires little more than a bit of creative thinking and a sense of adventure... 

1. When eating out - eat as the locals do. 

It always amuses me the number of cafes and restaurants across the globe advertising a 'Traditional English Breakfast' complete with HP sauce and Lipton tea. Whilst I'm sure it's lovely to travel for hours only to enjoy "England with heat" (as one tour operator so eloquently put it), you may be pleasantly surprised by the local alternatives on offer. Here in Turkey, most pensions or hostels will include breakfast in the room rate - but it won't be bowls of sugary cereal or bacon and eggs you're offered. Expect slices of tomato and cucumber, slabs of white and yellow cheese and bowls of olives and local honey (which is AMAZING, I might add). If you are given eggs, they'll either be hard boiled or (if you're lucky) you'll be served Turkish menemen, a delicious one-pan assortment of eggs and tomatoes and peppers, sometimes with sujuk (a spicy sausage) and sumac yoghurt. YUM!!

Not to mention 99.9% of places catering to locals and not tourists will be vastly cheaper. For example, a measly cup of Nescafe in most places in Turkey will cost you 4-5tl (approx AUD$2.50), whereas a cup of Türk kahvesi or çay will cost half that - and taste considerably better!  

I advise not eating in tourist areas where you can avoid it - walk a few blocks and seek out the places with menus and signs that aren't in English. Often they will have food on display or pictures in the menu (so you can simply point), or be adventurous and ask your waiter what they recommend. The majority of the time they will be keen to showcase their local cuisine and happy to explain it to you.

It's also good to learn the names of your favourite dishes in the local language - that way if all else fails, you can seek out places offering dishes you recognise (Gözleme, börek and Köfte are some of my favourites at the moment!) 

A delicious fruit cake

And keep and eye out for other bargains specific to the city you're in. In Budapest, many restaurants and cafes offer lunch specials that include 3 courses at half price. So by making lunch our main meal of the day (and self catering at breakfast and dinner) we were able to sample some great food whilst also saving money. Istanbul in particular is great for the budget conscious - in addition to the plethora of Iskender kebap vendors, the local büfe or Esnaf lokantası (a restaurant catering to shopkeepers and tradesmen) is a prominent part of the local streetscape, with brimming trays of home-made delicacies.

And did I mention the baklava?!

2. Eat off the street

I'm not talking about freeganism or dumpster diving (although that will certainly keep your costs down!) but merely buying ready-to-eat food from street vendors instead of at restaurants and cafes. Nowhere is this more prevalent (and enjoyable) than in Asia. I was in a food lovers paradise, sampling an array of obscure grilled meats and dumplings or sitting on a plastic stool sipping on a Chang whilst waiting for a steaming plate of Pad Thai. 

Contrary to popular belief, eating from street vendors doesn't automatically ensure you a bout of gastro - often the food is fresher than in restaurants and cafes, as it's purchased and consumed that day. It may not look all that appealing sitting in the sun surrounded by buzzing flies, but trust me - once it's cooked (on a sizzling plate at a very high heat) and seasoned, you won't know the difference (except in the price!)

Europe is not without it's assortment of street food either - be it currywurst in Germany, covrigi in Romania or freshly caught mussels in Bulgaria.... not to mention the grilled sweetcorn on almost every beach in Europe, the roast chestnuts in wintertime and the piquant sausages and stuffed pastries of every conceivable variety. Whilst probably not the healthiest of food if that's all you're ever eating, street food can nonetheless be part of a balanced diet if eaten in moderation (and save you money - which you can then spend on healthier options).

3. Use ingredients that are plentiful and in season 

You won't always find what you're used to cooking with at home. In fact, I guarantee the majority of the time you won't find all of the ingredients you use at home (some, but not all). This is where you need to be flexible. Give local ingredients a try - often you'll be pleasantly surprised. There's countless varieties of cheese and spices in Europe that can transform a dish from mediocre to amazing. 

And be creative - in Vysoké Tatry (The High Tatras) in Slovakia, the absence of pasta sheets and tomatoes meant we made a 'pancake lasagne' instead, using the abundance of frozen spinach and sheep's cheese available throughout the village. It was just as soft and creamy and delicious as the traditional dish (albeit a different flavour) and just as easy to make.

Pancakes with caramelised figs

Furthermore fruit and vegetables are plentiful in Europe - although the type varies depending on the season and the country you're in. In most of eastern Europe for example, figs and tomatoes and eggplants are everywhere in the summertime and can be used in numerous recipes. We made pancakes with caramelised figs in Istanbul, had salads topped with grilled chicken, white cheese, figs and walnuts in Bulgaria... and the other day I made a fabulous eggplant, tomato and chickpea stew.

Which brings me to my final point...    

4. Eat vegetarian as often as you can

If you haven't mastered some brilliant vegetarian recipes yet - learn some! It will help you control your waistline and your wallet.  

Grilled chicken salad with walnuts and figs

That doesn't mean subsisting on salads (although having some great salads in your repertoire will come
in very handy). You can substitute meat in a recipe with pulses and legumes instead, or simply learn how to make vegetables delicious on their own (zucchini fritters anyone?) With an abundance of websites and cookbooks out there devoted to vegan and vegetarian recipes, it's so easy to create a masterpiece with whatever ingredients are available to you. 

And that doesn't mean carrying around copious amounts of oils and spices either. Most hostels with a kitchen will provide the basics (oil, salt & pepper) and some garlic and onion can go a long way. If you do want some extra flavour, most supermarkets sell small sachets of spices that weigh next to nothing - so you can grab some staples (e.g. paprika, basil, chilli etc) and carry them with you. Every city and village we've been to - no matter how remote - has had a street vendor selling fruit and vegetables and a local food market. In rural areas the local farmers will often set up a stall by the side of a road and they're always considerably cheaper (not to mention better quality) than what you'd find in the supermarkets.

Cherry tomato pasta sauce

At the very least, learn how to make a basic tomato pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes, not bottled/canned (as you won't always find them) or some basic soups. Knowing a few one-pot recipes (i.e. where you only need one frying pan or saucepan) is a good idea as well, for the times when the hostel kitchen is woefully understocked...  

I'll be sharing some backpacker-friendly recipes in future posts, to show just how simple it is to eat cheaply and healthily whilst on the road. The point I want to make is that self-catering needn't equal depriving yourself and being frugal needn't equal surviving on kebabs or pizza...or cans of potted meat. 

Bon appétit!