Belize beach food

[joiei]

I will be in Placencia for a couple of days before Christmas. I am looking for the best beach food. I am not expecting anything lux, just good. Does anyone have any suggestions.

[Jaymes]

I love Belize, but if there's one thing that I find truly disappointing, it's the quality of the food. Actually, I find it more than disappointing, I find it positively mystifying. A friend posits that it's a result of the long British occupation of what was "British Honduras." Rather than an emphasis on the bounty of Belize's native foods, or the development of any indigenous cultural cuisine, it seems to be based on such things as tinned, imported items, and bland, unimaginative preparation of local staples.

I don't know. Maybe it's there and I just couldn't find it. But I have to say that of all the places I've traveled, and I've traveled a lot, Belize has by far the worst food.

Sorry, and I sure hope that others chime in here and offer good ideas. Not only to benefit you, but me as well, since I plan to visit there again.

But unfortunately, for starters, what I'd suggest you do is to lower your expectations. At least in so far as dining goes.

Although the country itself is spectacular.

Edited November 8, 2004 by Jaymes (log)

[zeitoun]

I will be in Placencia for a couple of days before Christmas.  I am looking for the best beach food.  I am not expecting anything lux, just good.  Does anyone have any suggestions.

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I never check this forum so I caught your question a little too late.

I was in Belize 4 years ago, I moved around a bit but stayed in Placencia 3 days. I remember vividly one place I ate in located right on the beach (the main strip facing the Caribbean side) which was called Omar or Omar's. It was a sit down place in a small hut which served amazing burritos. I do not have any particular affection for the gringo burrito but these were really good. Omar would go fish himself on the reef every morning and bring back fresh fish for lunch or dinner. Another vivid memory of my trip was when our guide took us out in the forest (by the monkey river) and had us try live termites which in belize they eat in a sandwich with peanut butter. Interestingly, termites have a crunchy minty taste!!

Did you come across the place? You must have, Placencia is so tiny!

[Jaymes]

I will be in Placencia for a couple of days before Christmas. 

So, Joiei....did you go? Did you find any good eating? How was the trip?

[phaelon56]

Obviously I'm chiming in on this a bit late but here's my take based on a trip to both the Cayo district (for caving at Ian Anderson's Jngle Lodge) and also some diving off Caye Caulker.

The food in general does tend to be very disapointing - stewed chicken with rcie 'n beans is the "national dish" and the amount of coconut milk (and posisbly some other form of fat) in the rice makes it a bit on the heavy side. I did try Cow's Foot soup when I was in the interior and wouldn't care ot have it again. The large amoutn of gelatinous material was made palatable only by adding heavy doses of Marie Sharpe's hot sauce (belize's best food product).

On Caye Caulker I tried two "beach meals" from the ladies who sold food on the beach in early evening. Both sold for $4 US with two side dishes but the sides were typically potato salad of some sort and the ubiquitous rice 'n beans. My first dinner was barbecued conch - it was rubbery beyond belief and disappointing. The second try was stewed chicken - acceptable enough but no comparison to Jamaican stewed chicken or many other simple chicken dishes I enjoy.

Look for small neighborhood places that have fresh fish if you're in Placencia or on any of the cayes. Local folks will often set up a barbecue grill in the front yard and a few pcinic tables. A "dinner" consisting of a bottle of Fanta, a nice sized hunk of fish and two sides (you can guess what the sides are!) was about $9 - $10 US. I had swordfish steaks - they'd been grilled in foil with an herbed butter mixture and were fresh caught. Unquestionably some of the best fish I've ever eaten.

If you happen to be there in the right season you might find some good spiny lobster barbecued on the beach but it's seasonal (by law).

Despite the mediocre food I will return - it's a beautiful country with friendly people.

[zeitoun]

The large amoutn of gelatinous material was made palatable only by adding heavy doses of Marie Sharpe's hot sauce (belize's best food product).

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Oh yes, my best food memory in Belize: Marie Sharpe's hot sauce. I found out last year that it was available at one of those stands in the NY Grand Central Market (they had the red and green one). I bought two bottles at a hefty price though.

If you happen to be there in the right season you might find some good spiny lobster barbecued on the beach but it's seasonal (by law).

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Yes indeed, I visited Belize in February of 2001. I believe it was the end (or beginning) of Lobster season. We had it in Caye Caulker in one of those Main (or Middle don't remember) Street joints. It was grilled on a barbecue just as you mentionned.

Despite the mediocre food I will return - it's a beautiful country with friendly people.

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Correct again!!!!

[phaelon56]

I had swordfish steaks - they'd been grilled in foil with an herbed butter mixture and were fresh caught. Unquestionably some of the best fish I've ever eaten.

Correction - they were barracuda steaks. I asked the dive shop prorpietor for a food recommendation and she suggested I keep my eye peeled for barracuda because it's so delicious. She was absolutely right - I can only imagine that the reason it's not more popular here in the US is due to image reasons as it is a scary looking fish. But so tasty.

[Ellie]

I second the Marie Sharps. We took it everywhere we ate while travelling through Central America -- it helped a lot!

It's pretty easy to find here and is still a favorite.

I agree that fresh fish is probably the best way to go in Belize. That and Belikins, of course!

Glad to hear Placencia is back up and running. We weren't able to visit in 2001 because the town had just been wiped out by a hurricane. Belize is fascinating.