Belizean Cuisine

I never thought I would have the ability to zero-in on the slight differences in taste of a plate of rice and beans based on the cook until I moved to Belize – if you have had one plate of rice and beans you truly have not had them all.  The cuisine in Belize really is based around a couple staples, rice and beans or stew beans and rice and the difference is in the preparation.  The following article featured on Helium talks about the different types of traditional Belizean dishes; http://bit.ly/dvyuYT.  In Corozal town (where I lived) there was more of a Mexican influence on the cuisine whereas in the Southern parts of Belize you will see more of a Garifuna influence on the cuisine.

Traditional Garifuna soup

I have had the opportunity to sample many variations of rice and beans, stew beans and rice, serre la sus (the traditional Garifuna soup mentioned) and many of the traditional Mexican dishes.  Any Belize town offers a daily fresh fruit market where you can find an array of tropical fruits.  Dragonfruit, mango, guava, papaya and coconut are among the types of fruit you will find depending on the season.  I loved buying 8 – 10 bananas for $1BZD ($0.50USD).  Veggies are also sold in these fruit and produce markets and my favorite time of year is starting June when the avocados (or pears as they are referred to in Belize) are in season.

Stew Beans and Rice

Local dishes, local fruit and produce are the most inexpensive way to eat in Belize.  Most imports are taxed heavily which is reflected in the much higher prices in the stores or markets.  It is also common for vendors to smuggle some fruits or produce in to Belize from Mexico (such as romaine lettuce or certain types of potato), this can also cause the price to go up.  In Corozal there is a store (D’s Superstore) that is dedicated to providing a larger selection of groceries imported from the United States – everything is priced higher here, even the fruit and veggies they sell.  So if there are some items you must have which are only available by importing, you may find them at stores such as this one but you will pay a premium.  This is true for alcohol as well, you can drink very inexpensive Belizean beer (Belikin) or Belizean rum, vodka or gin drinks but if you want Absolute in your screwdriver expect the price to jump 3 times.

In Corozal most of the restaurants serve very similar dishes – it is usually in the more touristy towns such as San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) or San Ignacio (Cayo District) where you may find a wider variety of cuisines.  You will also notice a much higher price, for example a pizza in San Pedro can run you roughly $40 BZD.

Most importantly when you are dining in Belize a bottle of Marie Sharp’s hot sauce will not be too far off – throw a couple drops on any Belizean dish to add a nice habañero kick.