If you love traveling, chances are you enjoy good food on your travels. Once you’ve tasted the authentic savory dishes Belize has to offer…well, let’s just say you may never leave.

Belize is a melting pot of cultures, which makes the food here diverse with a sprinkling of African, Caribbean and Maya infusions. Most dishes are made with naturally organic and fresh food and the type of food that you get to taste really depends on what part of the country you decide to visit. For example, coastal towns like Placencia, Belize City, Dangriga and Ambergris Caye mostly have food that is more seafood based like conch flitters, ceviche or hudut. In inland areas like San Ignacio and Orange Walk you’ll find more Maya influenced dishes like caldo or tamales.

Breakfast in Belize
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and locals take this fact pretty seriously.
Breakfast in Belize has got to be one of the best meals of the day. A true Belizean breakfast is sure to melt your taste buds and have you feeling energized and ready for the new day ahead. A standard home-style breakfast consists of foods like the famous fry jacks, Johnny cakes or rich flour tortillas served with eggs scrambled or cooked however you’d want them, beans, sausages and a side of locally grown fruits.

Lunch and Dinner

We gathered a list of must eat authentic dishes that you cannot afford to miss while visiting Belize.

Hudut with Fish Sere
This savory fish stew owes its flavor to a blend of fresh fried fish, coconut milk, plantain and cassava. It’s a very popular traditional meal that originated from the Garifuna people of Belize. What makes this dish super yummy is the fresh coconut milk soup like sauce which adds a great amount of flavor. Hudut is served with fu-fu, a mixture of mashed green and ripe plantain.

 

 

Stewed Chicken with Rice and Beans
You will never find such a perfectly delicious combination as this. This dish is without a doubt the most popular meal in Belize. No matter what part of the country you decide to visit, you will find a plate of chicken stewed and simmered in rich gravy with rice cooked in fresh coconut milk and beans, usually with a side of homemade potato salad or coleslaw and a couple slices of succulent fried plantain.

Black “Dinna”
Black Diner is a hearty dish, similar to Chimole and Relleno Negro is a tasty black-colored soup with roots in Mayan and Mestizo cultures but is enjoyed by every local. It is made with chopped chicken, onions, sweet pepper, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, boiled eggs( yes it has eggs in it), and fiery habanero peppers. The black color comes from Black Recado which is made with burnt tortillas which is also used to season the soup.

 

 

Boil Up or “ Bile Up”
This a healthy and nutritional cultural dish and as the name implies, everything is boiled. It’s made with is a mixture of several root vegetables, boiled eggs and fresh fish boiled in a finger-licking tomato/onion sauce and is usually served with boiled dumplings (boiled cake).

 

 

Conch Soup
Conch soup is a traditional coastal dish in Belize. It’s a soup made from fresh meat of the Queen Conch. This is a creamy coconut milk soup with vegetables and distinctive spices, sizzled to perfection; the aroma alone will mesmerize you. The taste will have you asking for seconds, your stomach might not allow you to leave Belize after having a bowl or two of savory conch soup.

 

 

Tamales
Traditionally prepared by the ancient Maya for feasts is the Tamale. It’s made with chicken and a juicy tomato based sauce, surrounded by masa (a corn based dough) wrapped in a banana or plantain leaves. The unique taste of and texture and smell of a hot tamale is what makes it a nationwide favorite.

Cochinita Pibil
Served as tacos or in burritos, this culinary gift given to Belizeans from the Maya people. In ancient times the entire pig was marinated in the juice of Seville oranges, ground achiote seeds, garlic and spices such as clove, allspice, black pepper and oregano, wrapped in leaves and buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom, slowly roasted perfection. So tender that you can spoon it out. Some Belizeans still chose to cook it the old way but others use various cuts of pork instead of an entire pig and aluminium foil and ovens. The ingredients remain the same to this day, and that along with slow cooking to perfect deliciousness is what makes pibil to die for in Belize.

 

 

Ceviche
Belize sits and the western edge of the Caribbean Sea. This makes seafood a part of every coastal home. Ceviche is fresh diced raw conch, lobster or shrimp, tossed with diced tomatoes, onions and chopped cilantro, with a hint black and habanero pepper, soaked in lime juice. It is served with fried corn tortilla chips, and is a popular appetizer for parties and at local restaurants

Hop on your culinary adventure to Belize today! Your taste buds will thank you.