Backpackers Pantry - Drunken Noodles with Chicken

Pad Thai's bolder, spicier cousin is here, and it tastes remarkably good for something that lives in your pack for up to a decade.

Backpacker's Pantry sources wide rice noodles directly from Thailand, and it shows. These aren't the generic noodles you find in most freeze-dried camp meals. Tossed with freeze-dried white meat chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, and carrot, the dish holds up well after rehydration with genuine texture in every bite.

The sauce is where this one earns its name. A tamari and brown sugar base gets layered with lemongrass, crystallized lime, cilantro, and green jalapeño for a flavour profile that actually delivers on the "street food" promise. It's got heat, it's got brightness, and it doesn't taste like it came from a pouch.

Prep is straightforward in camp: boil water, pour, seal, wait about 15 minutes, and eat straight from the bag. Worth noting for alpine paddlers and hikers: rehydration time doubles for every 5,000 feet of elevation, so plan accordingly on those big days in the backcountry.

• Serves: 2
• Calories per serving: (check packaging)
• Prep method: Just-add-boiling-water
• Water required: 1 1/2 cups (360 mL)
• Rehydration time: 15 minutes (at up to 5,000 ft elevation)
• Gluten-free friendly: Tamari-based sauce (verify packaging for certification)
• Shelf life: 10 years from manufacturing date
• Packaging: Resealable pouch with oxygen absorber