Eating on a Budget in the Baja

This is our second installment from our popular series Tips for the Touring Cyclist. Today we will deal with the important issue of what and how to eat along the Baja peninsula.

Article #2 - Eating on a Budget in the Baja

For those touring cyclists continuing their journey from the United States through Mexico, the food and meal situation will abruptly change. Leaving the US you will suddenly leave behind the selection and choice found in giant supermarkets, and find yourself shopping in small "abbarotes" and "mini-supers" that have a few shelves covered in dusty goods. You'll soon grow to love the new choice and selection that these small stores offer you.

However, when first entering Mexico you will likely succumb to the temptation to dine at one of the numerous taco stands lining the highway from Tijuana to San Quentin. This will be a great choice, because these taco stands not only deliver high quality tacos at low prices, but it also gives you the opportunity to witness home cooking, as the woman running the stand will likely start up her stove and pull the fresh ingredients out of her fridge in order to serve you. You may be eyed suspiciously by everybody frequenting the stand, but don't let this bother you - spandex and sweat-stained jerseys are fine apparal for dining in these establishments.

While at first the price of the tacos may seem very reasonable, you will soon discover that you can purchase your own tortillas from one of the dusty abbarotes at the astounding price of only C$1.70 for 22. This becomes a much cheaper meal option than buying indiviual tacos. At first glance you may feel that there is nothing available to fill your tortillas with on these bare shelves; however, with a little work you will soon find that the aisles of these tiny stores actually contain all that you need for an incredibly varied, delicious, and healthy diet! First, you will want to try the obvious filling of peanut butter - this makes a delicious wrap, and contains many essential nutrients. However, it is a pricy and hard to find commodity in the Baja, so you will want to expand your tastes.

Salsa will become an excellent staple, being found everywhere and in various brands and colours. You'll want to try them all! Soon, various canned goods will start practically jumping off the shelves at you. Nacho cheese, and real cheese both make great fillings. Nutella can be found in a few of the larger "super-mercados", and this will make quite the treat on the tortillas! Even cheap iced cookies fill a tortilla quite nicely. If these flavours don't seem like much, don't fret, there are many varieties of jam available at almost all stores, and they all taste great wrapped in a flour tortilla. Honey is another great, sweet alternative. Lechera is another canned good found in Mexico, and it comes in a couple of varieties - one of them is quite solid, and spreads nicely on tortillas, and it has a nice sweet caramel flavour. Beware of the other, because the labels are almost identical and though it is a little cheaper, it is a runny, white, gooey mess. However, they both seem to be made of condensed milk? Excellent for building those strong bones. Finally, if you're feeling that vegetables are lacking in your diet, potato chips make for a great filling. With the great variety of flavours available you will easily be able to meet your daily nutritional requirements.

While tortillas and the extensive variety of fillings for them will make for very cheap, vast meal options, you may desire a snack every now and again. You can find many varieties of cookies and pre-packaged baked goods in the small stores that you will encounter sporadically along the Baja, however, a much cheaper alternative to buying these snacks is simply to find them. The best place for this is in one of the garbage cans marked "Basura" along the side of the highway. It's important that you check these garbage bins from time to time, as small store owners use them to get rid of their "expired" pre-packaged baked goods. A Mexican brand version of Twinkies, Wagon Wheels, Swiss Rolls, and many others could be yours for the taking! It's very important to remember that "best-before" certainly doesn't mean "not good after". Don't pay too much attention to those dates stamped on those packages - they are likely only a few days past, and remember, you're on vacation! The date doesn't matter! If you're very lucky, you may find a vast selection of these goodies placed right on top, as if they were just waiting for you to discover them.

Even though your first foray into Mexico may seem daunting from a culinary point of view, you will easily discover that eating cheaply and well in the Baja is simple! Keeping in mind these tips, you will be feasting like a king while biking through the Baja!