Have you ever lived in shared accommodation where numerous people use the same cooking space?

If you have, like me you’ll be familiar with what kind of a state these places can be left in. The bigger hostels tend to have worst kitchens due to the number of people using (and abusing them).

Personally, I don’t particularly like trying to cook in these types of conditions so I tend to have a “a quick as possible” approach. Over the last few days I’ve noticed three different types of traveler in the kitchen, one of whom I find particularly bizarre.

1. The Pot Noodle Chef

This traveler really isn’t in the mood for messing around chopping and dicing, they head straight for the hot water and fill up they’re instant noodles. They are rarely sighted in the kitchen.

2. The Communal Cooker

Often cooking spaghetti bolognese or a stir fry for a group of friends this traveler does some slicing and uses some fresh ingredients, but keeps it simple. After all we’re in a hostel kitchen. They’re sometimes accompanied by a cooking assistant in the form of one of their friends.

3. Back To Basics Chef

This traveler, like the Communal Cooker whips up something nice but simple the only difference is that they are only cooking for one.

4. The Master Chef Contestant

I have come across this traveler on only a handful of occasions but each and every time it really baffles me why they go to so much trouble. I once witnessed a guy produce four stuffed lamb chops, the stuffing was home made and took him a good half an hour to prepare.

More recently I noticed one traveler with the world’s biggest wooden salad bowl, I have no idea where he found it I can only presume that he brought it with him.

Looking out of the corner of his eye he tossed his herb salad around like a pro hoping a few people would notice his efforts. It was like it was a competition in the kitchen, I was competing with my “Pasta with tomato and herb sauce” straight from a jar. I had no chance as he finished off his huge salad with strips of ham and a sprinkle of salt.

Don’t get me wrong I think it’s great to take time to cook a proper meal and be creative in the kitchen, but not in a hostel kitchen. It’s hard enough to find a clean plate in these kitchens at times.

I sense that in some situations some travelers for one reason or another go that extra step in creating something because of the communal environment.

Perhaps they are attempting to gain some sort of kudos from people around them with their abilities in the kitchen. I never really saw this kind of behaviour at university with most people content with beans on toast for dinner.

When some one’s baying for your attention or approval by flamboyantly drizzling the herb salad with a dash of olive oil it’s difficult to have any other opinion about them.

After all, it’s not Traveling Master Chef, it’s a dirty hostel kitchen.