I've been a cold soaking convert for the past couple of years, but when the opportunity came up to try out Itacate's new Latin-inspired backcountry meals, I just couldn't resist. I stashed away the three colorful packages of dehydrated meals in the bottom of my food bag, impatiently waiting to end a day of adventure with access to hot boiling water.

The timing could not have worked out better, when, after a particularly cold ride on a multi month bikepacking trip in the mountains of north Georgia, I ended up at a hiker hostel with everything I needed to make Mexican magic happen. 

Sunset Caldos

My frigid little fingers peeled open the hot pink satchel of Sunset Caldos, and I was immediately warmed up by the aroma of CDMX spices wafting up into my nostrils. Since the bags are not designed to be rehydrated in, I poured the hearty mix of rice, garbanzo beans, chayote squash, onions, spices and more into my collapsible Fozzils bowl and topped it with the suggested amount of boiling water.

I stirred it, covered it and let it sit for the prescribed time of 10 mouth watering minutes. When the timer rang, I dug right in and the result was heavenly. The complex, chipotle based broth was the perfect setting for this slightly spicy, full of flavor, vegetable laden, vegan stew. 

The rice, beans and squash softened to just the right texture, and there were plenty of them in every bite. The hot broth warmed me from the inside, out and before long, my cheeks were rosy and my fingers had thawed. 

Campsite Lentejas

Because I like to eat more than one item for dinner, I found the amount of food to be a perfect size serving that left me room to have another delicious dish : the Campsite Lentejas. 

This lovely lentil soup was a great companion piece to the caldos, though I found that letting the lentils sit a little bit longer than the suggested 10 minutes made them less al dente, which is more to my liking. The serving size of the lentejas was super satiating, with a hearty heap of fiber filled goodness in every tomato based, cilantro punctuated, flavor packed spoonful.

Both the Campfire Lentejas and the Sunset Caldos come with little lime packets to zest up your meals, and while I did add a few shakes to each meal, I think they would be perfectly fantastic with or without the citrus addition. After filling my belly with these hot, healthy, hearty meals, I drifted off into a deep sleep and woke up feeling restored, rejuvenated and ready to ride once again.

Charge-Up Chilaquiles

Even though I didn't have my usual hungry morning belly, I knew I needed to feast on Itacate's Charge-Up Chilaquiles before hitting the road. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast made of tortilla chips smothered in a spicy tomatillo salsa and topped with a protein packed ensemble of eggs, beans, and cheese.

The Chilaquiles were hands down my favorite meal of the three, most likely because I'm a big breakfast buff, although you could really eat these anytime! The softened tortillas were covered in melted cheese that melted in my mouth and tasted like they came straight out of a grandmother's oven instead of heated with hot water. 

I love the way everything merged together into a heavenly breakfast bowl, yet somehow maintained their sovereign flavors and textures. I could have eaten two or three bright green bags of Charge-Up Chilaquiles, not because the serving size was small, but because they were so dang good. If this is what everyday starts like in Central Mexico, I'm packing my bike bags and pedaling further south! My partner, Mathieu, and I could not believe these delicious, nutritious, hearty and homemade tasting meals were once contained within a pre-packaged satchel of dehydrated food.

I found the Charge-Up Chilaquiles to be quick and easy to digest, no bloating, cramping or bean-based flatulence, (which can sometimes happen when I stack dehydrated meals back to back) and they held me over for a few solid hours of riding my bike. 

Itacate, which is Nahuatl for "the food you bring with you on your journey" has earned its keep in my cupboard of dehydrated adventure provisions and more importantly, allowed us all to easily expand our access to cultural cuisine on backcountry outings. 

PROS

Delicious

Nutritious 

Satiating 

Lightweight

Packable

Vegan/Vegetarian 

Portion of proceeds to charity

Made in USA

CONS

Can't be rehydrated in the original packaging

SPECS

Charge Up Chilaquiles 

Ingredients: Tortilla Chips (Stone Ground Corn, Canola Oil, Lime & Sea Salt), Beans, Egg, Queso Panela (Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Milk, Sea Salt, And Enzymes), Onion, Cilantro, Salt, Garlic, Chile De Arbol, Canola Oil. Contains Less Than 0.5% Of Vegetable Flavor Base (Salt, Sugar, Soybean Oil. Onion Powder, Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Turmeric (Color), Spices, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Calcium Silicate (Anti-caking Agent), Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Citric Acid).
Contains: Egg, Milk

Serves 1
Single serving: 490 calories, 23g fat, 1230mg sodium, 55g carb, 17g protein
Weight: 4.0oz (net wt)

Cost : $12.49 USD

Sunset Caldo 

Ingredients: Rice, Garbanzo, Chayote Squash, Texturized Vegetable Protein (Defatted Soy Flour), Tomato, Onion, Chipotle Peppers (Wateer, Chipotle Peppers, Onions, Vinegar, Tomato Paste, Iodized Salt, Dried Peppers, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Spices), Chile Guajillo, Canola Oil, Salt, Garlic, Cilantro, Epazote. Contains Less Than 0.5% Of Vegetable Flavor Base (Salt, Sugar, Soybean Oil. Onion Powder, Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Turmeric (Color), Spices, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Calcium Silicate (Anti-caking Agent), Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Citric Acid).
Contains: Soy

Serves 1
Single serving: 490 calories, 15g fat, 1550mg sodium, 69g carb, 16g protein
Weight: 4.0oz (net wt)

Cost : $12.49 USD

Campsite Lentejas 

Ingredients: Lentils, Tomato, Potato, Onion, Canola Oil, Cilantro, Salt, Garlic. Contains Less Than 1% Of Vegetable Flavor Base (Salt, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Onion Powder, Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Turmeric (Color), Spices, Carrot Juice Concentrate, Calcium Silicate (Anti-caking Agent), Caramel Color, Natural Flavors, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Citric Acid).

Serves 1
Single serving: 490 calories, 12g fat, 950mg sodium, 73g carb, 24g protein
Weight: 4.0oz (net wt)
Cost : $12.49 USD

Ali Becker is a freelance adventure writer and narrative storyteller who shares compelling conversations about personal transformations, overcoming limitations, wellness education, and adventurous situations. You can follow her rambling adventures on Instagram at @thisisalibecker. 

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