Good To-Go Bibimbap

What to do with those extra meals I had left over from my last hike?  Well, they taste just as good at home as they do on the trail.

A couple of nights ago I was hungry, nobody was home, and the pantry was empty.  Fortunately, I had several meals left over from my recent hike.  So I dug into my Ursack and pulled out a jackpot- Good To-Go’s Bibimbap.

I had been anxious to try this one out, and it turns out to be a keeper.

Bibimbap is sort of a Korean grab-bag meal that is traditionally topped with a fried egg.  That’s not feasible in most hiking situations, but Good To-Go sure got the rest of it right.  A mixture of rice, carrots, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, onion, sesame oil and seeds, and the KEY ingredient- gochujang paste.  This special ingredient is made by mixing hot red chilis with fermented miso, and it really amps up the umami factor.

I boiled 2 cups of water for the double portion I had on hand and added the meal, covered it and placed it in a pot cozy.  The directions recommend rehydrating it for 20 minutes, but I gave it an extra 10 to make sure the rice didn’t have any residual crunchiness, and that was a good call on my part.  30 minutes was perfect.

This meal was SAVORY!  The gochujang paste works magic.  And the heat wasn’t too intense.  It makes a great stand-alone meal, and would probably work as a side dish to many other Asian entrees (I will need to experiment with this).

For a 6.7 oz. package the double portion gives you 740 calories, really good bang for the ounce.  I guarantee this one will make one of my future section hikes.  One of the most unique and tastiest backpacking meals I’ve ever had.

Grade:  A