Gourmet Table Fare Or Just Quality Meals, WHat To Expect?

[BRICKBURN]

I do not like liver nor I do like green eggs and ham. Dried testicles are right out too.

Alright!

 

[Divernhunter]

The food we had was very good and the meat was excellent lamb one night and animals we took the others. Cruise ship level----no BUT I went there to hunt not cruise ship type food.
I am sure there are places that have it. That does not interest me just as I do not need/want a pool/spa/butler and such. I am very happy with 3 star food or better and 5 star hunting for an lower price.
They did ask before hand about what we liked/wanted, did not like/want and restrictions on our diets. I am diabetic so they worked with me.

I am sure someone here will speak up and point you toward a outfitter who has the 5-star food/service.

Not trying to be crass but if that is what matters to you why not just take a nice cruise or go to Cape Town and stay at the hotel we stayed at. Their steaks/food were to die for. But then we did not hunt there.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

@Divernhunter brings up a point...... lamb. Not typically a favorite of Americans, but being 1/2 British from my mom's side, I really enjoy a nice lamb chop. RSA has good lamb and should be enjoyed if given the chance.

@K-man and @Royal27 can enjoy lamb fries....

 

[gillettehunter]

Lamb was great on my last safari. Probably some of the best meals. Always great to have local food. Bruce

 

[johnnyblues]

Ok my 2cents here as an Italian boy from Brooklyn that was raised on good home made Italian food made by grandma. Your there to hunt, by all means if you so desire let you outfitter know in advance your likes, dislikes and expectations. I love to eat! And yes I want good food for sure, I've done the mountain hunts one as long as 30 days but we wont get into that my x wife nearly had the candian Mounties looking for me! Once fresh meat was finished it was spam and more spam for weeks. Ahhhh. My point being just go and enjoy yourself, I love eating local fare no matter where in the world I might be.

 

[Red Leg]

You will not find "cruise ship" dining in most camps - well maybe Carnival. But I have always had good quality meals prepared by a real cook who was doing remarkably well in often primitive conditions which were usually a day's drive from the nearest fresh egg or vegetable. I can also say that even the poorest of those meals exceeded by far the typical fare on any North American wilderness hunt I have ever experienced.

 

[spike.t]

I do not like liver nor I do like green eggs and ham. Dried testicles are right out too.

...what about wet ones phil?.......

 

[billc]

...what about wet ones phil?.......

dam that is funny right there.

 

[spike.t]

You will not find "cruise ship" dining in most camps - well maybe Carnival. But I have always had good quality meals prepared by a real cook who was doing remarkably well in often primitive conditions which were usually a day's drive from the nearest fresh egg or vegetable. I can also say that even the poorest of those meals exceeded by far the typical fare on any North American wilderness hunt I have ever experienced.

as said here in a lot of the countries there are only basic kitchens in the hunting camps, and what the cooks make come out of them in the majority of cases is great food using the meat from the animals hunted and tinned produce, with if there is a camp garden some easy to grow veggies /lettuce for salads . that is if the monkeys, birds and larger wildlife have been kept at bay.....fresh perishables are brought in on the charter flights into the camps or on the vehicles on the way in depending on how you travel and distances. so a lot depends on the setting of the hunting area/camp( a lot of places in sa are closer to villages and towns so fresh basics are easier to obtain ), but the operators will in the majority of cases do their best to keep the camp/lodge supplied with fresh stuff to the best of their ability.if you are more interested in top end food then there are up market hunting areas with lodges that can cater to your needs, but being mostly in sa and namibia you are removing a lot of wild african hunting areas from your places to be able to hunt.........also i dont think i have ever heard your question asked before, as people are more interested in getting to africa to hunt and experience being there.......ok food is important but maybe you should take another cruise for the food and go to africa for the hunting and the experience of being in the bush, which hopefully you will find will over shadow any memories of what you ate..............

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

...what about wet ones phil?.......

Do you make soup out of them or something?

 

[spike.t]

Do you make soup out of them or something?

nah sliced thin and fried in garlic butter. when you coming to try them?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

nah sliced thin and fried in garlic butter. when you coming to try them?

I do hope to come by for your hunting but never for your buttered balls!

 

[Royal27]

Do you make soup out of them or something?

Cream of.... nevermind.....

 

[spike.t]

I do hope to come by for your hunting but never for your buttered balls!

........

 

[Gemsbok Gangsta]

Got an idea.... How about a great outfitter with a nice lodge and a great staff. Then some quality hunting concessions(they go hand in hand) my meals in Namibia were wonderful, breakfast,lunch and dinner!! By the way oryx and zebra kabobs are the best.

 

[Scott Slough]

One of my favourites is a Tomato Toasty.
Discovered in OR Tambo after that very long flight.
(Grill Cheese with Tomato)

I have had everything from Pap (Corn meal porridge) and Butter for breakfast with Buttermilk Rusks and Coffee (true SA Breakfast) to four course meals served to me for lunch and Dinner.

I was served Liver from my first African animal (Eland) and I eat it and enjoyed it. I hate Liver.

I enjoy good food but it is second to the Hunting for me.

Definitely ask questions of the Outfitters.

I too was served liver (Kudu) from my first African animal and was shocked at how good it was! The cooks made such a big deal that I HAD to try it ...even when I KNEW that I was going to HATE it. It reminded me of a well done sirloin steak (I am a medium rare rib eye guy). Any one who can make liver taste like sirloin can cook for me any day! Everything that we were served as excellent.

I would make food questions a priority for references if it is important to you. I was able to find out that we would eat with the entire extended family every evening, so we had a fairly large spread (not cruise ship, but 3 or 4 entrées options with 4 0r 5 five sides and 2 or 3 desserts) through the references. At least 2 wild game dishes every meal and full buffet. Eating African wild game and plenty of options were more important than the whole 5 star/4 star/3 star level of the food.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I went on 2 hunts in 2015. The first was in Zim and I'd say the dining was good and I probably gained a few pounds. In a 10 day hunt, there was only 1 dinner that was so-so. I believe it was eland and a bit overcooked, making it quite tough to chew. All other meals were quite good, served on a white linen table cloth and all the silver & crystal to make for a nice experience. Prior to the hunt, the outfitter sent me an info request on what I liked to eat for breakfast and any special requests. Breakfast was bacon, eggs, brewed coffee, toast. We came back to camp most days and had a full lunch meal. We only ate lunch in the field twice and it was sandwiches, chips, fruit, biltong, etc. Each night, prior to dinner, spectacular appetizers (starters) were served around the fire. I could have easily skipped dinnerNo complaints and certainly better than any dining during my 50+ years of hunting out of a tent or camper in the US.

The second hunt was to Namibia and the dining and accomodations were truly 5 star. I took my wife and 21 year old daughter and they were spoiled. Unfortunately for me, they think all my hunting is done at this level. The outfitter was Hunters Namibia Safari (http://www.huntersnamibia.com/ ) and every meal was incredible. My wife and daughter don't normally eat game meat and my wife hardly eats red meat at all. We had game meat every night and sometimes at lunch, all prepare by the gourmet chef, and it was truly some of the best dining I've ever had. Both my wife and daughter raved about how good the game meat was. The chef was a real master in the kitchen. Other nice touches were coffee or tea brought to your room each morning. Breakfast was cooked to order, eggs, bacon, brewed coffee, etc. Lunch was always back at the lodge and always a fancy meal. We all gained weight on this hunt.

 

[Cucuy]

I've not yet had the privilege of Africa, but have done several outfitted hunts in the US and Canada. Keep me alive with local fare and farting in blinds and trucks and I'm a happy man.

As an aside, never had testicles in my mouth. A trend that I plan on keeping - wet, dry, or somewhere in between.

 

[Bruce]

When you guys hunt buffalo AND YOU HAVE A COOK IN CAMP THAT UNDESRATNDS HOW TO COOK IT, do NOT pass on the buff tail ( ox tail) as well as the tongue!!!
For the rest 5 star gourmet cooking is for France and such places.. hunters need straight forward wholesome food and make use of the FRESHLY hunted game meat....awesome.
I grew up on this stuff so MAY tend to be biased... Brickburns "toasties" done over the fire are the BEST... we call them "rooster brood" !!

 

[dobber]

On my trip i ate better than i do at home, much better than what i ate on my fly in hunts for moose (except the fresh fish and moose tenderloin)
More than enough food to go around, even my picky wife ate plenty and didn't complain. My next trip though i pity the poor outfitter as i am bringing my son and not so sure they can keep up feeding him.