FOOD & SUN
SCUBA, SNORKEL, SAVOUR From conch fresh out of the sea to classic lemon pie made from local limes, Belize reveals its fresh, eclectic cuisine in surprising ways By Liz Humphreys
SNORKELLING NEAR AMBERGRIS CAYE
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conch season and these large sea snails are a treasured Belizean delicacy. José uses a hammer to crack open the conchs. He expertly cuts out the meat, trims it into small cubes and mixes it into a concoction of purple onion, bright red tomatoes and fragrant cilantro. A few squeezes of lime finish it off. And voilà, ceviche! We hungrily devour the tangy, chewy mixture, using crisp yellow corn chips to scoop out every last morsel. It may be the most delicious – and certainly the freshest – ceviche we’ve ever tasted.
© BELIZE TOURISM BOARD
M
y husband, five-year-old son and I snorkel off the side of the boat, investigating the plethora of sea creatures – red and green parrotfish, silver yellowtail snappers, white butterfly fish, green moray eels, brown hawksbill turtles – underneath the placid, clear waters of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, off the coast of Ambergris Caye in Belize. Our boat driver, José, pulls on a snorkel mask and slips gracefully into the turquoise water. He surfaces less than a minute later with a glistening, pink-shelled queen conch in each hand, which he carefully places into a pail. It’s queen
AT THE GARDEN SPOT, THE CHEF COOKS WITH ORGANIC INGREDIENTS FROM THE FARM
