Rice and beans with a choice of beef, chicken, pork, lobster, shrimp, or game meat are one of the most essential foods in the local cuisine, even reaching the status of national dish. Recado (a spice created from annatto seed, a local plant with a distinctive deep red color) and garlic are used to cook the meat.

The beef can be grilled, stewed, or fried. When the meat is stewed, the gravy is generously ladled over the rice and beans. When ordering Rice & Beans with meat, such as whole or filleted fried fish, it's a good idea to ask for meat or chicken gravy to be ladled over the rice and beans, otherwise, the rice and legumes may be too dry. This is a sinfully delicious dish that will make you put your diet on hold.

Coconut milk is used to prepare Belize Rice and Beans. When in season, fresh Habanero, onion, and lime juice sauce are served over potato salad and ripe fried or baked plantain. The traditional Belizean cuisine is rice and beans.

Ingredients

• ½ onion, diced, ½ red bell pepper, chopped, dried kidney beans, garlic cloves, minced, 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 cup white rice, coconut milk, and water

Instructions

• Cover kidney beans with several inches of lukewarm water in a big container and let aside for 8 hours to overnight. Drain.
• Toss the beans with the onion, red bell pepper, vegetable oil, salt, and black pepper.
• In a saucepan over low heat, toast and stir rice for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
• Bring to a boil the coconut milk, water, and kidney beans.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until rice is tender.

This Fruit Cake is a classic rum cake from Belize. It's a cake with preserved fruits cooked in that's kept for a few days after being drenched in dark local or Caribbean rum. Connoisseurs of Belize fruit cake like a cake that has been made to perfection, is moist on the inside and has a brown crust with no obvious cracks on the surface, and has been matured for at least one week.

This method blends the various components into a delicious fruit cake that may be paired with a glass of locally produced wine or a soft drink, ideally lemonade.

The combination of a sweet cake and Caribbean rum is likely to be a fantastic way to cap off a fantastic meal — tipsy or not. The classic Black Fruit Cake is laced with caramel coloring, whereas the White Fruit Cake is lighter and does not include caramel. Belize Fruit Cake is a must-have for each Belizean Christmas.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds flour, 12 pounds brown sugar, 1 pound butter, 1 pint blackening, 1 nutmeg grated, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon or 3 teaspoons allspice, 8 to 10 eggs, 1 cup syrup or brown sugar for simmered fruits, 1 cup flour for fruits

Instructions

• Using ¼ - ½ lb. of brown sugar to stew the fruit the night before.
• Fruits simmer
• Line cake pans with a brown paper bag after greasing them with shortening.
• Combine the remaining sugar and the butter or margarine in a mixing bowl.
• One by one, crack the eggs into the mixture.
• Alternate adding flour and black food coloring.
• Fold in the fruits after adding them to the mixture.
• In a 300°F oven, bake for 2–3 hours, or until cake is dry.

The fermented cashew fruit, not the more well-known nut, is used to make cashew wine. It makes a sweet and strong wine that is deceptively gentle and appealing. Cashew and Craboo Wines is a native and traditional liquor of the Belize River Valley.

Cashew and Craboo Wines are manufactured at home and range in quality and intensity, but most locals have a favorite provider and can point you in the right direction. Cashew and Craboo wines should be served cold. These wines are sometimes served with broken ice. However, overindulgence might result in a lingering hangover.

Cashew and other local wines are widely available across Belize. Burrel Boom and Crooked Tree in the Belize District are the main cashew wine production locations. BelMer Wines, a local vineyard, produces cashew and other wines made from local fruits including mango and blackberry.

Despite the fact that it has a short shelf life, most farmers are primarily interested in the cashew seed (which is located outside, or below) the fruit. So, during harvest season in the summer, you can come to the farm and pick as many ripe fruits as you like for free, as long as the seeds are returned.

Ingredients

• Cashew Fruit organic, 500 mg Sugar, 3 liters sterilized water, 5 mg Fruit Cider Wine Yeast

Instructions

• Cashews should be washed and cleaned.
• To extract the juice, cut it into small pieces and squeeze the fruit.
• Soak it in water and continue the process until all of the fruit's aromas and sweetness have been removed.
• Allow the sugar and yeast to ferment under an airlock.
• Taste to see if extra sugar, spices, or tastes are needed. Using a mesh cloth, filter the wine.
• Refrigerate it for a day to make the wine clearer and enjoy it right away.

Small baked bread cakes prepared with flour and coconut milk are known as Johnny cakes or journey cakes. Cooking them over an open fire is the best way to enjoy them. The Johnny Cake is frequently sliced in half and covered with butter, refried beans, and cheese before being sold as a morning fast food in Belize.

It serves as a cheap, nutritious, and hearty lunch for people on the go when stewed chicken or beef is added. It's usually served with scrambled or sunny side up eggs, refried beans, cheese, and bacon for breakfast.

The Fry Jack is a deep-fried friend consisting of flour, baking soda, and shortening.

The Johnny cake is a dry, long-lasting cake that was used before refrigeration when mahogany workers had to travel great distances, thus the term "journey cakes." Fry Jacks are best eaten hot, straight from the pan.

However, fried jacks can be frozen for a few hours and then reheated in the microwave (easy does it), making them almost as wonderful as when they were newly made.

Ingredients

• 2 Lbs Flour, 1/4 Lb Shortening, 4 Tbsp Baking Powder, 2 Tsp Salt, 1 Can Grace Coconut Milk Liquid

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, shortening, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add Grace Coconut Milk to the mixture.
• Mix until the dough is easy to work with. Knead dough for 3-6 minutes or until smooth.
• Roll into little balls after cutting into small pieces. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Flatten each ball a little on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for about 20 minutes, or until bottom is brown.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on the bottom of the Johnny Cake for 3-5 minutes to brown the top.

Shrimp and conch ceviche is served with a crisp fried corn tortilla and a side of fresh Habanero pepper. Belizean ceviche is made mostly of fresh-caught fish. On a sweltering day in Belize, ceviche with conch, fish, or lobster goes great with a cold beer.

Because the meal is eaten raw rather than cooked, it must be made fresh and ready to eat to avoid food illness. Ceviche is frequently served as an appetizer, but if served as a main meal, it is frequently served with flavorful accompaniments such as sweet potatoes, lettuce, corn, avocado, or roasted bananas.

Eating cheap fresh Ceviche in simple paper cups, sitting by the sand watching each wave crashing, feeling the cool wind blowing from the vast ocean will be the most enjoyable experience you can have when coming to these places. this beautiful and vibrant Latin American country.

Although there are many variations with different types of seafood such as fish, squid, octopus, scallops, clams, mussels... but shrimp ceviche is considered the original dish and has the most harmonious taste.

Ingredients

• About half a pound of raw (uncooked) cleaned shrimp, diced ripe tomatoes, 1 large onion diced, 5 good limes, 1 tsp salt, 1 bunch cilantro chopped

Instructions

• You can cook your shrimp, however it's preferable using a flash boiling method. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they become pink. Strain the water.
• Chop the shrimp up
• Tomatoes and onions should be chopped into quarter-inch bits. Toss in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
• Toss in the shrimp! If using raw shrimp, soak it in lime juice for 20-30 minutes to allow it to "cook" in the acidity of the lime juice.
• Serve with corn tortilla chips that have been fried.

Cochinita Pibil is a slow-roasted pig dish from Yucatec, Mexico. Pibil Pork is the name given to this meal by Belizeans who do not understand Spanish. The beef is marinated in a sour orange juice that has been spiced with annato seed paste (a native spice called as recado), garlic, allspice, and onion.

The meat is then wrapped in plantain leaf and placed in a huge roasting pan that is either buried or placed inside a clay oven with fuel, where it is slowly roasted and smoked for hours until it is succulent and tender. The Cochinita Pibil is served with fresh habanero pepper sauce, avocado, and hot hand-made corn tortillas. Pibil tacos are made with the pork, tomato, onion, and peppers.

The pig would have been marinated beforehand, and then left to roast in its own fluids and marinade in the ground for hours. The resultant meat is tender and flavorful, falling apart effortlessly. It's usually served with corn tortillas and pickled onions. This pig-roasted-in-a-pit is frequently part of a large event, such as a wedding or a family gathering.

Ingredients

• 5 lb pork shoulder, 4 tablespoons – salt, 1 tablespoon – whole allspice, 1/2 teaspoon – cinnamon, 4 tablespoons – achiote annatto, 1 Large onion, Banana leaves

Instructions

• With a fork, poke holes all over the meat. Set aside the pork after rubbing it with achiote paste.
• Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and habanero peppers in a large mixing basin. Combine the cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• Place the pork in the mixture, cover, and chill for at least two hours, turning two or three times.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees C).
• Aluminum foil or banana leaves soaked in water for 30 minutes can be used to wrap the pork and marinate. Cover and place in a casserole dish.
• Cook for 2 hours.
• Make the sauce by bring the red wine vinegar to a boil.
• Serve over white rice and corn tortillas after pouring the sauce over the meat. With the meat, rice, and sauce, each individual may prepare tacos or fajitas.

Tamales are cornmeal squares loaded with chicken, pork, or beans, as well as green peas, onion, and tomato pieces, wrapped in smoked plantain leaves, and tied together with plantain thread.

After that, the tamales are steamed over an open fire until done. Tamales colados are made by pressing maize flour through a tiny mesh, resulting in a creamy, silky tamale that melts in your mouth. Tamales are inexpensive and widely accessible across the country, particularly in public markets. And, best of all, they're a balanced and nutritious lunch for individuals on the move or on a budget, thanks to their ingredients and cooking process.

What exactly is a Tamal? Tamales, also known as a bollo, is a tasty traditional Mesoamerican food consisting of maize dough (masa) stuffed with seasoned meat (chicken or pig) and steamed or cooked in plantain or banana leaves. Utah was the Maya word for corn tortillas and tamales.

Ingredients

• ½ tsp black pepper, masa, water, salt, 1 clove garlic, crushed, 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 1 medium onion, chopped

Instructions

• Mix the masa with the oil and water until it reaches the consistency of clay. Make 12 balls using the dough. Place a banana leaf on top of each ball. Make each ball into a tortilla form by flattening it.
• One teaspoon of col should be placed in the center of each open tamal.
• Cooked chicken tamales: Fill each tamal with one piece of cooked chicken.
• To make vegetarian tamales, replace the veggie bullion with chicken bouillon and add cooked greens or heart of palm.
• Fold one side of the masa over the filling, then the other, like an envelope.
• The tamales/bollos will be firm after steaming.

Chicken Escabeche is a unique chicken soup with Yucatec Maya and Spanish influences. The chicken is seasoned with oregano and thyme, then lightly grilled before being roasted and served in a light and clear chicken soup with onions, black pepper, allspice, and jalapeno pepper.

The Jalapeno pepper is not as hot as the Habanero pepper, thus most people can manage it. White sugar cane vinegar and chicken stock provide the soup's foundation. Sour orange is preferred by certain purists. With hand-made corn tortillas, the entrée is served steaming hot. This meal relies heavily on onions, which should preferably be white Mexican onions with little or no bite. Crisp and not overdone onions are ideal.

Chicken Escabeche is a sort of chicken soup in which the main ingredient is onions. The distilled white vinegar added to the soup to make it tangy is the one element that sets this soup apart. The sweet and sour flavor of the soup comes from steeping the onions for exactly the correct length of time.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken, 6-8 whole spice seeds, 6 oregano leaves or 2 tsp crushed oregano, 6 whole cloves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, salt and pepper to taste, 4 plugs garlic

Instructions

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper before serving. Fill the pot with 6 cups of water, or enough to cover the chicken and have enough broth.
• Then, except for the vinegar and onions, combine all of the ingredients. Reduce the heat to a low setting once the chicken soup has started to boil.
• Cooking time for chicken is roughly 30 minutes, but the soup tastes better if it is cooked for at least 45 minutes.
• Peel and slice the onions, then pull apart the slices to form loose onion rings in a large mixing basin. When the water has reached a boil, pour it over the onions. Allow it to soak for 3-5 minutes in this water.
• Add the vinegar now. Start with 1 cup, whisk it in, and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If you want it a little sourer, add more vinegar; if it's too sour, dilute it with 1 cup water or more. Cook for another 15 to 30 minutes with the onions in the broth.
• Cook for only 15 minutes if you want crisp onions. You can either add the chicken while it's cooking or leave it out and add it when you're ready to serve.

There are numerous local treats of Belizean Desserts to choose from, but Soursop ice cream is a favorite. The Soursop fruit (Annona muricata) is sweet and acidic at the same time, extremely healthful, and a powerful antioxidant. It is abundantly accessible in Belize. Soursop is very delicious when cooled and combined with condensed milk.

Another popular Belizean Desserts is cassava (Manihot esculenta) pudding, which is both delicious and healthful. The craboo, also known as nance or nanche (Byrsonima crassifolia) ice cream, is another famous treat. This is created from a fruit that may be found growing wild across the countryside. Craboo is also often consumed as a wine.

The other dessert is Milk Cake. The sweet and sticky caramel – also known as boil milk or dulce de leche – makes each layer sweeter than the previous, starting with a typical white cake as the foundation. The 'boil milk,' as it is known in Belize, is what makes this Belizean cake so unique. Caramel, Dulce de Leche, or Boil Milk is a famous Latin American delicacy that may be made at home or purchased from a store.

Lemons are another popular fruit in the United Kingdom, lemon pie is a traditional British dish. While lemons are typically acidic, the addition of sugar and potentially a meringue topping transforms the dish into something quite delightful.

Garnaches are similar to salbutes, but the tortillas are fried till crispy before being topped with a smorgasbord of items like beans, cheese, and onions. A Belizean Garnache is a flat, fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, chopped cabbage, tomato mix (or pickled onion), and cheese.

It is not to be mistaken with a Guatemalan Garnacha. They may appear simple, but when these components are combined, they become amazing. For some, it can be a culture shock, but it can also be a welcome break from the concrete jungle and rat race that visitors to our shores are fleeing.

Due to the lack of large franchise fast-food companies, fast food outlets are popular across Belize. Some are well-publicized, with bright and even garish signs, or simply ask a passing pedestrian or taxi driver. Small mom-and-pop establishments or simply a small table mounted on a sidewalk – often with a small gas stove to keep the food hot – make up Belize's fast food outlets.

Ingredients

• round fried corn tortillas, 1 medium tomato, finely diced, green cabbage, kidney beans, 1/4 cup of yellow onion, finely chopped, vegetable oil, Hot pepper sauce (optional)
  

Instructions

• Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, then add the onions and stir until they are completely caramelized. After that, add the refried beans to the pan and stir well.
• Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Turn off the stove and remove the beans from the fire. Allow time for the beans to cool before using them in your garnaches.
• To make the green cabbage topping for the garnaches, combine the cabbage and tomato in a bowl, then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Pickled onions can be substituted with this topping if desired.
• After the refried beans have cooled, spread a thin layer on top of the fried corn tortilla. Add a thin layer of finely chopped cabbage and tomato mix or pickled onion after that.
• Finally, grate some cheese over the top. Toss in a dash of your favorite hot sauce (optional).