Food Tips from a Pro!

I had the best cheese plate of my life at our last Burning Man (so many cheeses, crackers, fruits, meats!), thanks to BM Chef Extraordinaire, Liz Burks. Here are her tips for food prep/planning on the Playa: 

•  A good mindset when thinking about what you’ll eat on the playa is “camping in the desert, with no campfire” and “mindful grocery shopping”.

• Once you’re there, there will be no opportunities to make a quick trip to the outside world for forgotten items. The only thing you can purchase at Burningman is ice. In previous years, Center Camp had a coffee bar, but that is no longer, so be mindfully prepared! 

• Speaking of ice, bring cash to help contribute to the camp ice restocking. Depending on the weather, camps are typically restocking ice every day or every other day. Between keeping all the food cold in the coolers and using it in beverages, ice goes quickly. 

• Camp typically has extra coolers for everyone to use. However, do not do a huge grocery shop that is going to require a large chunk of cooler space, unless you have your own cooler (and even then, you probably won't be able to store a week's worth of food in one cooler). Space for cold items can be limited, especially at the beginning of the week, so be mindful when bringing items that must be on ice/in a cooler. You'll want to pack some storage containers as well, to keep cooler water out of your M&Ms. 

• Foods need to be easy to prepare and require minimal equipment and effort. If prepared, camps will have a heat source (i.e., grill or propane burners) so there will be the ability to heat up water and simple meals that only require 1 or 2 pots or pans. Think spaghetti, grilled cheese, ramen, cup of noodles, canned items, oatmeal, etc. Meals that just need hot water to cook or minimal cooking/preparing are the best. Meals can definitely be more elaborate, just keep in mind you’ll be tired, eating at odd times, and not in an environment that is easy to cook in. 

• For easy one-pan/shelf-stable options, Trader Joe's has some great choices for eating well out of plastic packets and cans...like couscous, rice mixes, curry sauce, canned salmon, pasta with canned clams in red sauce, etc. MountainHouse meals are quite delicious, and only require boiled water. Shelf-stable pudding cups and shelf-stable milk (like coconut milk) are convenient dairy-like options. 

• There will always be a way to cook bacon….you’ll see and understand why once you’re there. 

• As hard as it may be, fresh fruits and veggies will not be your best grocery purchases. Fruits and veggies will last only a day or two so if you bring them, eat them at the start of the trip. There may not be enough space to keep these cold all week, plus it can be so hot during the day that spoilage comes on a little quicker than normal. We bring shelf-stable fruit cups that don't need to be cold, and some baby carrots and sugar snap peas for early in the week. 

• Bread gets stale quickly on Playa. Flour tortillas hold up better, and you can make anything into a taco if you try hard enough.

• Snacks, snacks, snacks. Regardless of how meals are planned with a camp, bring your own snacks and sweets to share with others, but also just to have when you need to recharge between meals, in the middle of the night, whenever. Salty snacks are good for replenishing electrolytes. Just remember, if you bring that giant jar of pickles, you have to bring the juice home with you.

• Electrolyte powders are a good way to rehydrate on hot days. 

• Camps will often "gift" delicious food to fellow burners. So, there are plenty of opportunities to eat food out on the playa. You just need to plan for it and get there early as camps will “sell out” of their playa meals fairly quickly. Personally, I wouldn’t have the mindset that you don’t need to plan for x, y, z meal because you’re going to visit a camp that is serving food. As mentioned, when camps are serving food, it goes fast. It’s always a nice surprise to stumble upon a camp that is serving food, but never a guarantee.

• WATER!!! Plan for 1 to 1.5 gallons, per person, per day. 

• Bring a reusable water bottle and a plastic or metal coffee cup. Water bottle to rehydrate with, coffee mug for camp beverages.

• Coffee. If it brings you life each morning, bring it! Starbucks instant coffees are a super easy way to get your fix each morning, with no coffee-ground clean up required. Large cold brew bottles are good, but will take up a lot of cooler space. 

• A small bin with a lid or a Home Depot bucket with a lid are great ways to store your non-perishable food items. The dust is everywhere, and it can be crazy windy, so it’s optimal to have a container for food items that you don’t want covered in dust.

• Reduce your MOOP before you even leave Reno. Groceries come with crazy amounts of extra packaging. Remove as much as you can and throw it away. (This is always done in the grocery store parking lot, FYI). In other words, don't even "pack it in" and you won't have to "pack it out."