More than Rice and Beans;
Explore the Culinary Delights throughout Belize
Everything Belize - A Collection of Words
More than Rice and Beans;
Explore the Culinary Delights throughout Belize
Everything Belize - A Collection of Words
One of the joys of travel is discovering local cuisine, tasting the local treats and dishes that make up a vital part of the nation youāre visiting. Belize is synonymous with warm, friendly people and absolutely delicious food. From treats found roadside during a road trip to the elevated, gourmet cuisine of restaurants, Belizean food is infused with culture, history, warmth and spice.Ā
One of the joys of travel is discovering local cuisine, tasting the local treats and dishes that make up a vital part of the nation youāre visiting. Belize is synonymous with warm, friendly people and absolutely delicious food. From treats found roadside during a road trip to the elevated, gourmet cuisine of restaurants, Belizean food is infused with culture, history, warmth and spice.Ā
A typical day of meals in the life of Belizeans covers a range of delights such as meat pies, tacos, fry jacks, flour tortillas with eggs, avocadoes, cheese or some combination thereof for breakfast. Lunch can be fresh fish, stewed chicken, the classic rice and beans (Belizeās unofficial national dish), or white rice and stewed beans, a side of greens, even curries and vegetarian stews. And donāt be surprised if even in the heat, a delicious hot soup lands on the menu! Dinners often feature leftover stews or meats with an accompaniment of tortillas (corn or flour), maybe freshly baked bread.Ā
A typical day of meals in the life of Belizeans covers a range of delights such as meat pies, tacos, fry jacks, flour tortillas with eggs, avocadoes, cheese or some combination thereof for breakfast. Lunch can be fresh fish, stewed chicken, the classic rice and beans (Belizeās unofficial national dish), or white rice and stewed beans, a side of greens, even curries and vegetarian stews. And donāt be surprised if even in the heat, a delicious hot soup lands on the menu! Dinners often feature leftover stews or meats with an accompaniment of tortillas (corn or flour), maybe freshly baked bread.Ā
Celebrations bring out the ethnic cuisines known to make any gathering special: escabeche, relleno, chimole, tamales, ducunu, pibil, hudut, cohune cabbage. For Belizeans, a hearty, delicious mealĀ isĀ a celebration in and of itself.Ā
So again, when visiting, we highly recommend that you take the routes that will keep your taste buds singing all the way to your destination. Letās drive down the Hummingbird Highway on our way to Umaya Resort in Placencia, shall we?Ā
While you get the car started and meander down, letās review a bit. Belize is often referred to as a āMelting Potā of cultures. See, even when discussing nationalities, weāre thinking food! And yes, Belize is home to an extraordinary mix ofĀ beautiful people and ethnicities who have brought with them their traditional cuisine and over time, have become as much as staple to the country as our rice and beans.Ā
Celebrations bring out the ethnic cuisines known to make any gathering special: escabeche, relleno, chimole, tamales, ducunu, pibil, hudut, cohune cabbage. For Belizeans, a hearty, delicious mealĀ isĀ a celebration in and of itself.Ā
So again, when visiting, we highly recommend that you take the routes that will keep your taste buds singing all the way to your destination. Letās drive down the Hummingbird Highway on our way to Umaya Resort in Placencia, shall we?Ā
While you get the car started and meander down, letās review a bit. Belize is often referred to as a āMelting Potā of cultures. See, even when discussing nationalities, weāre thinking food! And yes, Belize is home to an extraordinary mix ofĀ beautiful people and ethnicities who have brought with them their traditional cuisine and over time, have become as much as staple to the country as our rice and beans.Ā
Besides the Garifuna, Mestizo, Maya, Chinese, East Indian, Creole, and Mennonite, the country is home to quiteĀ a number ofĀ Central American expatriates. From Honduras to Nicaragua,Ā GuatemalaĀ and El Salvador, many settled in the Western region and have become a wonderful part of ourĀ colorfulĀ community.Ā Ā
On the road to Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge, youāll pass through the idyllic village of Armenia, home toĀ PupuseriaĀ Beatriz. Pupusas areĀ theĀ SalvadoranĀ national dish. Similarities to a corn tortilla are that itās made with corn flour. These babies are thick, often stuffed with cheese, beans, chicharron or some other meat. Cooked up on a hot griddle, they are served with a tangy slaw and red sauce. Pop intoĀ PupuseriaĀ Beatriz and taste a little bit of El Salvador on your road trip. There is nothing like biting into a freshly made pocket of cheesy goodness, topped with a cooling slaw and sauce to balance it all.Ā Ā
Besides the Garifuna, Mestizo, Maya, Chinese, East Indian, Creole, and Mennonite, the country is home to quiteĀ a number ofĀ Central American expatriates. From Honduras to Nicaragua,Ā GuatemalaĀ and El Salvador, many settled in the Western region and have become a wonderful part of ourĀ colorfulĀ community.Ā Ā
On the road to Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge, youāll pass through the idyllic village of Armenia, home toĀ PupuseriaĀ Beatriz. Pupusas areĀ theĀ SalvadoranĀ national dish. Similarities to a corn tortilla are that itās made with corn flour. These babies are thick, often stuffed with cheese, beans, chicharron or some other meat. Cooked up on a hot griddle, they are served with a tangy slaw and red sauce. Pop intoĀ PupuseriaĀ Beatriz and taste a little bit of El Salvador on your road trip. There is nothing like biting into a freshly made pocket of cheesy goodness, topped with a cooling slaw and sauce to balance it all.Ā Ā
As you continue driving down one of the most scenic highways, youāll realize maybe one pupusa wasnāt quite enough. Lucky for you, Berthaās Tamales await you. A now-iconic red & white building, Berthaās is home to some of the tastiest wrapped bundles of goodness. Tamales in Belize are made with corn dough/masa, filled with aĀ recado-tinged sauce known asĀ kāolĀ (cull), bone-in chicken cuts, then folded and wrapped with a banana leaf. A running joke told by countless guides involves a tourist being introduced to theĀ BelizeanĀ tamale. After lunch wraps up, his guide asks him what he thoughtĀ of the meal, and the visitor replies, āThe inside was really tasty, but I thought the lettuce was quite tough!āĀ
So, word of advice, donāt be that guy! Remove the smoked banana leaf used to wrap the tamale for steaming. With locals taking road trips just to indulge in a couple of these tasty bundles, Berthaās simply closes when they run out. Hereās hoping you make it.Ā
As you continue driving down one of the most scenic highways, youāll realize maybe one pupusa wasnāt quite enough. Lucky for you, Berthaās Tamales await you. A now-iconic red & white building, Berthaās is home to some of the tastiest wrapped bundles of goodness. Tamales in Belize are made with corn dough/masa, filled with aĀ recado-tinged sauce known asĀ kāolĀ (cull), bone-in chicken cuts, then folded and wrapped with a banana leaf. A running joke told by countless guides involves a tourist being introduced to theĀ BelizeanĀ tamale. After lunch wraps up, his guide asks him what he thoughtĀ of the meal, and the visitor replies, āThe inside was really tasty, but I thought the lettuce was quite tough!āĀ
So, word of advice, donāt be that guy! Remove the smoked banana leaf used to wrap the tamale for steaming. With locals taking road trips just to indulge in a couple of these tasty bundles, Berthaās simply closes when they run out. Hereās hoping you make it.Ā
If you donāt think youāll catch Berthaās (no speeding!), comfort yourself with some of the freshest, tastiest ice cream you can from Country Barn. Just a few miles before Berthaās, this dairy farm is known for its rich homemade ice creams, especially coconut and soursop. Their iced coffees and shakes also hit the spot and can tide you over as you make your way to your destination.Ā
If you donāt think youāll catch Berthaās (no speeding!), comfort yourself with some of the freshest, tastiest ice cream you can from Country Barn. Just a few miles before Berthaās, this dairy farm is known for its rich homemade ice creams, especially coconut and soursop. Their iced coffees and shakes also hit the spot and can tide you over as you make your way to your destination.Ā
Once settled in at Umaya, be sure to enjoy some elevated cuisine using fresh ingredients and drawing inspiration from all things Belizean.Ā RestauranteĀ Laguna, with its gorgeous setting on the lagoon, provides stunning vistas while you sip on a craft cocktail andĀ decide on which tasty delight youāll have. Pastas, fresh seafood, even a scrumptious sorrel red wine rib eye if youāre feeling fancy, will cap off an incredible day of delicious meals.Ā Ā
Once settled in at Umaya, be sure to enjoy some elevated cuisine using fresh ingredients and drawing inspiration from all things Belizean.Ā RestauranteĀ Laguna, with its gorgeous setting on the lagoon, provides stunning vistas while you sip on a craft cocktail andĀ decide on which tasty delight youāll have. Pastas, fresh seafood, even a scrumptious sorrel red wine rib eye if youāre feeling fancy, will cap off an incredible day of delicious meals.Ā Ā
Truth be told, these places mentioned donāt even begin to cover the many hidden gems throughout the country. We always encourage our visitors and friends to buy that bag of sliced fresh fruit from the vendors along the way. Taking a few minutes here or there to stretch oneās legs while browsing the fruits in season is a great way toĀ seeĀ the real Belize; her true, authentic vibes. If there is one way to bring people together, itās with food.Ā You may not understand the languageĀ or dialects as you move from place to place, but you can understand sweet, sour, salty, bitter,Ā spicyĀ and umami. And in Belize, we have spades ofĀ thoseĀ to spare. Letās eat!
Truth be told, these places mentioned donāt even begin to cover the many hidden gems throughout the country. We always encourage our visitors and friends to buy that bag of sliced fresh fruit from the vendors along the way. Taking a few minutes here or there to stretch oneās legs while browsing the fruits in season is a great way toĀ seeĀ the real Belize; her true, authentic vibes. If there is one way to bring people together, itās with food.Ā You may not understand the languageĀ or dialects as you move from place to place, but you can understand sweet, sour, salty, bitter,Ā spicyĀ and umami. And in Belize, we have spades ofĀ thoseĀ to spare. Letās eat!