It is the season for Breadfruit in Belize

By: Will Moreno
2/7/2012

Yes, it sure is the season for Breadfruit in Belize. What is a Breadfruit, you may ask? Well, simply put, the Breadfruit is a remarkable food source.

The Breadfruit has long been a staple in the diets of the Pacific Islanders, but was introduced into the Caribbean in the late 18th-century when the Bristish slave masters were looking for a very cheap food source alternative that was very high in nutrients to introduce into the diets of their slaves. This is the period the Breadfruit was introduced to the Caribbean.

The Breadfruit is very rich in starch, carbohydrates, water and vitamin C, potassium and zinc. Before being eaten, they are roasted, baked, fried or boiled. When you cook the breadfruit it tastes somewhat like potato, or similar to fresh-baked bread. In reality, it takes the flavor of whatever you cook it with, so sometimes its prepared with coconut milk or with different kind of meats.

When you are selecting a breadfruit from the tree if you choose a green fruit, its green and hard on the exterior with small raised black spines and the interior is white in color and on the inside it would be very starchy and somewhat fibrous. When fully ripe, the fruit's external color remains the same but is somewhat soft, the interior would be cream colored or yellow and pasty, also sweetly fragrant.

Belizeans in Belize for years have been eating Breadfruit not knowing that it was actually introduced as a food for the slaves. It is often prepared by cutting off the outer skin and cutting the fruit into slices, then deep fried to give it a crisp texture. The amount of crisp on the fried breadfruit depends on the thickness of the slices.

Is this making you hungry yet? Then it's not too late because breadfruit is still in season in Belize. Come to Belize and enjoy the culinary experience.

Escabeche Recipe - Belizean Style

Escabeche is a delicious and very flavorful meal most commonly made in Belize on the weekends when families most often gather to have a communal meal.
Some refer to this delcious meal as onion soup because the flavorful broth is filled with onions that have been cooked therein.

Here is a popular escabeche recipe brought to you courtesy of:
Platinum International Real Estate

Escabeche

Ingredients:
3-4 pounds of chicken
2-3 tablespoons white vinegar or to taste
10 Spice seeds
2-3 Jalapenos
3 pounds white onion, sliced
10 dried oregano leaves or 1 Tbsp of crushed dried oregano leaves
1 head of roasted garlic
black pepper and salt to taste

Method:
Boil spices in water, upon boiling add chicken and cook until tender.
Remove chicken and keep the chicken broth.
You may bake the chicken at 400 degrees or you may fry the chicken to create a delicious and crisp brown outer layer.
Add white vinegar roasted garlic and jalapeno peppers to the chicken broth.
Add sliced onions and cook until tender (approximately 5 minutes)

Best served hot with fresh corn torillas.

Enjoy this tasty Belizean Escabeche Recipe!

Brought to you courtesy of:
Platinum International Real Estate
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