Padkos: noun [put-koss] Snacks, prepared before a long journey to take along. Padkos is consumed at a table-and-chair resting spot, next to the road under a tree.
The English word for this is… ahemmm…. Aaaah… I don’t know. Meals on wheels perhaps? No, that sounds like a charity. Chow on the move? This sounds like a lion’s breakfast run. Look at that springbok; now that’s what you call chow on the move. I have had my mind wrapped around this for the past 30 minutes to find a suitable English word, without success.
Now that you know what it means, I will stick to padkos. To prepare padkos takes a bit of preparation. You cannot simply throw a bunch of hard boiled eggs and a tomato in a bag and call it padkos. That is unacceptable. There are do’s and dont’s involved.
First absolute no-no: Let’s leave the hard boiled eggs at home. I don’t want to be rude, but please think of the other people in the car. If you catch my drift? This rule also applies to any form of beans.
Meat is meat and a man must eat.
Biltong should be first on your list. To make your life much easier on the road, do cut it beforehand and place in a brown paper bag. Not for any specific reason. It just looks fancy. Small meatballs are also an absolute must on any road trip. To spice things up a bit, feta cheese with a hint of mint in the middle will provide for an aromatic surprise.
Pork and beef sausages can be cooked / grilled and are just as delicious when served cold. For the chicken meat eaters: chicken drums are messy I know, but they are oh so nice. Marinade the drums in a sweet cherry sauce and various spices, wrap with bacon and grill. To make sure your hands stay clean, wrap the end of the chicken drum with foil. Don’t forget to allow the meat to cool down properly before placing in closed containers.
If you have to and really want to make eggs – how about Scottish eggs.
The recipe? Here it is:
Boil the eggs for 4 minutes and place in cold water to cool down.
Take some grounded spiced beef, and place in a bowl. Fill one bowl with flour and another with 2 whisked eggs. In another bowl, some crushed cornflakes.
Peel the eggs one by one. Here is a cool and easy way to peel eggs. Roll the eggs very hard on a table top causing it to crack all around. Don’t push too hard as you might just crush the whole egg. Take a spoon and push underneath the cracked shell and gently lift the shell. It’s the easiest way to peal an egg. Form patties from the ground beef, and wrap over each egg. Dip the patty covered egg first in the flour, shake off excess and dip in whisked egg. The final touch, dip in crushed Corn flakes and fry in oil until brown and crispy.
A titillating companion to these treats is a mustard and yoghurt dipping sauce.
Lets break bread
Sandwiches are a great way to fill an empty stomach but some fillings make the bread all soggy and watery like tuna or tomato. Cheese and ham is a safe filling to prevent this. If you want to have sandwiches with all kinds of lovely fillings, prepare it all, but don’t put it on the bread. Cut and spread the bread with butter or cream cheese. In small ziplock bags or containers, place the fillings, cut cheese, tomato and other ingredients separately. This way everyone can mix and match the fillings and toppings to their own heart’s desire.
As an alternative to bread you can use cream and salt crackers.
Variety
Your padkos basket does not have to be boring and only consist of traditional food. Samoosas, spring rolls, mini quiche and tortillas are all great ways of making your padkos rest stop be filled with goodness.
The healthy alternative
Fruits like apples, oranges, naartjies and grapes are great for the road but try to avoid fruits that turn mushy easily. To stock up on healthy foods, make a skewer salad. Feta, cheese, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes can all be placed on a stick and are easy to eat. Only add the salt and dressing just before eating the skewer to prevent wilting.
To quench the thirst
Coffee and Tea are not to be forgotten, but only take along a small amount of milk and sugar along. Buy an all in one picnic bag at your nearest camping store. It comes in real handy for road trips which contain forks, knives, plates, glasses and salt and pepper shakers. There are also side bags for coffee bottles and milk or juice containers. Fresh juice and water for the non-hot beverage drinkers. Click here for proudly Namibian drinks.
To add just the right amount of "Je ne sais quoi" to your picnic on the go, here are some more helpful ideas: Pack a table cloth, to throw over the table or if there are no tables, you can throw the cloth on the bonnet of the car. An alternative is making yourself comfortable flat on the ground. Beware of those big black feisty ants though. They absolutely love to bite.
Wet wipes and paper serviettes will keep your hands and face clean. A bag for rubbish is better than using the ones on the side of the road. This way, monkeys and baboons don’t have anything to scatter around.
Make sure your food is packed in an airtight container in a cooler bag.
Go to pinterest for more ideas.
Safe Driving and see you somewhere next to the road. Tell me, do you have any food or padkos ideas for Namibia ? Do you think you will use some of these ideas ? Let me know in the comment box below.
Compiled by :
Jessica Schoombee is a local freelance writer. She is an eccentric young lady who has a love affair with writing. Get on board her journey of discovery.
