No Cook Camping Food: How to Add Flavour Without a Stove

In short: To add flavour to camping food without a stove, use a liquid spice extract you can stir in at the end. Ground spice needs heat to taste its best, but a few Spice Drops in cold soaked couscous, wraps, tinned beans or a flask of tea give proper flavour straight away. A 5ml bottle holds around 150 drops, fits in a pocket and keeps for up to three years.

A day of walking, a bag of couscous and a flask of hot water. It is a classic camping supper, and without some help it tastes of very little. Whether you cook on a single stove, cold soak your meals or skip cooking altogether, this guide shows how to get proper spice flavour into camping food with almost no effort.

Why does camping food taste so bland?

Camping meals are built for weight and simplicity: noodles, couscous, oats, wraps and pouches. At home you would fry onions and spices first to build flavour. At a campsite, with one small burner or none at all, that step usually disappears.

Why do ground spices struggle without a stove?

Ground spices usually taste best when they are warmed, often in a little oil, which brings their flavour out. Stirred into food at the end, they can taste raw and dusty, and they tend to sit on the surface rather than mixing in. Spice Drops are liquid extracts made from spices in Kerala, India, so they can go into cooked or raw food. Stir them in at the end and the flavour is there straight away, whether the food is hot, warm or cold.

Spice Drops contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and are oxalate free. They are vegan, gluten free and alcohol free, and contain a plant derived emulsifier, polysorbate 80, which helps them mix into food and drink.

What can you make at a campsite without cooking?

• Cold soaked couscous: soak in water, then stir in Lemon Zest and a drop of Cumin Seed for a fresh, savoury base.
• Overnight oats: Cinnamon or Vanilla stirred in the night before, ready for breakfast.
• Wraps: mix a drop of Tikka Masala Spices into mayonnaise or yoghurt and spread it inside a wrap with cheese or tinned chicken.
• Tinned beans or chickpeas: Cumin Seed and Red Chilli turn a cold tin into a simple spiced salad.
• Noodles and pouches: a drop of Garam Masala Spices stirred in at the end lifts an instant meal.
• Flask drinks: Chai Spices in tea, Golden Turmeric Spices in warm milk, or Mulling Spices in apple juice around the fire.

How much should I use?

These ratios come from our product pages. Start with them, taste, then add more if you like.

What spices should you pack for camping?

A 5ml bottle holds around 150 drops and fits in a pocket. Three or four flavours cover most camping meals: we suggest Cumin Seed, Red Chilli, Lemon Zest and Chai Spices. The bottles are glass, so pack them in a small pouch or wash bag, keep the caps closed, and keep them out of direct sunlight in a cool spot in your rucksack. Stored this way, Spice Drops keep for up to three years. Check the best before date on each pack.

Browse the full range in our Spice Drops collection. If you sail as well as camp, our guide to galley cooking on a boat has more ideas, and our guide to meals without power covers store cupboard food at home.

Do you sell to camping and outdoor shops?

Yes. Outdoor retailers can stock Spice Drops through our Wholesale and Distributors page, or find us on Ankorstore and Faire.

How are Spice Drops made?

Spice Drops are made at our own factory in Kerala, India, by a family business that dates back to 1946. The spices are crushed in a hammer mill or under a roller without heat, then extracted, and the solvent is removed under vacuum. For some flavours the distilled oil of the same spice is added back. Leafy herbs such as Mint are distilled essential oil only. The result is real spice flavour: the natural compounds that give each spice its taste and aroma are still there, such as piperine, which gives black pepper its heat.