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.

Belize Tourism Board launches new culinary website

Jun 23, 2011
Belize City, Belize

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) announces a new interactive culinary website geared towards providing travelers with a comprehensive guide on Belize's unique cuisine and restaurants located throughout the country. Cleverly named SavorBelize, this website unveils a treasure of tastes, events, traditions and specialty styles dictated by Belize's more than 10 diverse cultures, including Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Maya and more. Totaling the size of Massachusetts, Belize is the only Central American country to house so many cultures within mere hours of each other, allowing tourists to experience the distinct richness of various communities through authentic fare.

"From foodie fanatics to leisure travelers, authentic food is simply another way that people like to travel. They like to try unique, local meals, and experience culture through indigenous cuisine," said Seleni Matus, director of tourism for the BTB. "Many tourists don't know where to eat or what dishes to try while traveling in Belize, so we created SavorBelize to be their go-to resource."

SavorBelize is accessible through Belize's official travel website, TravelBelize.org, and features information on any and everything related to Belizean cuisine. Highlights include restaurant listings for the entire country; blog reviews of restaurants by international culinary writers; photos and more. And as SavorBelize is designed to be a tourist-oriented interactive website, travelers can post their own photos, videos and reviews of their culinary adventures online. To be unveiled in late 2011, an interactive map will allow travelers to research restaurants in their vacationing area and map out their culinary route in advance of their trip.

People who have not yet visited the country can bring a piece of Belize into their own kitchen, as local chefs have come together to share their food and drink recipes on SavorBelize. And for those intrigued by the "farm to table" concept, or simply seeking a behind-the-scenes peek at Belize's unique culinary offerings, SavorBelize provides an overview of various food tours offered throughout the country, including chocolate-making tours, trips to the Belikin Beer factory (Belize's official beer) and Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce factory, to name a few.