Trailtopia Jambalaya

Trailtopia Jambalaya has a good taste but a strange aftertaste. Eating the two-serving package for dinner around 7 p.m. filled me up enough that I wasn’t hungrier than usual 12 hours later when it was time for breakfast.

I brought two Trailtopia meal entrées on an overnight campout at the summit of Coburn Mountain, Maine, last weekend, and had the Jambalaya for dinner. Before I get into the meal itself, what I really liked was the packaging—the top is on a long side so you don’t have to stick your hand halfway into the package to stir or get the last of the food. The bottom of the package expands so it stands on its own, and doesn’t have crevices where hot water doesn’t reach very well. 

Preparation is simple and straightforward: open package, remove oxygen absorber, add 2.25 cups (approx 520ml) of boiling water, stir, seal, and wait 10 minutes. High altitude reconstitution will take longer, I was at 3700' but let it sit longer while I did camp chores. 

As I mentioned in a previous entrée review I put hot sauce on most things without tasting them first, but since I planned to review this entrée I ate it as packaged. I liked it a lot, it had a hint of spices and heat that most people, especially those with a Yankee palate, would probably find perfectly adequate or even a little on the spicy side. 

The strange aftertaste did take away from the flavor. It wasn’t bad, just strange, and may have been natural given the ingredients in the same way beer has an aftertaste. Maybe some hot sauce would have masked or eliminated it. If I buy this entrée again I’ll definitely try it.

I generally don’t pay too much attention to the ingredients or nutrition information, if the name sounds appetizing I’ll buy it. Many people are interested in this info, though, so here it is, straight from the Trailtopia website. 

INGREDIENTS: PARBOILED LONG GRAIN RICE (RICE, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMIN, FOLIC ACID), FREEZE DRIED COOKED SAUSAGE (PORK, SALT, SPICES, SUGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATE), FREEZE DRIED COOKED CHICKEN, CREOLE SEASONING (SALT, SPICES, PAPRIKA, GARLIC, ONION), TOMATO POWDER, FREEZE DRIED GREEN BELL PEPPER, ONION, FREEZE DRIED CELERY, DRIED GROUND SHRIMP, FILE (SASSAFRAS), SPICES

CONTAINS: SHELLFISH

Total Weight:7.8oz (218g)

Net Weight:6.9oz (192g)

Servings per Package:2

Calories:370

Total Fat (g):8

Saturated Fat (g):3

Cholestrol (mg):35

Sodium (mg):1,110

Total Carbohydrates (g):48

Dietary Fiber (g):8

Sugars (g):7

Protein (g):20

I was impressed with the Trailtopia entrées I ate last weekend and will definitely buy more. The Jambalaya was on the expensive side, but it’d be an occasional meal so the price isn’t too bad.