Belize is located in Central America, bordering Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the south and west, and the Caribbean to the east. English is official, making Belize the only English-speaking country in Central America. This has its explanation – it is the only country in Central America with British colonial heritage. Since 1981 it has been an independent country within the British Community.
Located in the southern parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize occupies part of the lands that were once home to the Maya. It is now a Negro country full of deep Caribbean atmosphere of carelessness, laziness and Bob Marley ideology. From this part of the world begins the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere, which is the second largest in the world. The nature of this country is wild and for the most part covered with dense tropical forests. There live jaguars, toucans, many monkeys and various snakes, some of which are extremely poisonous.
Belize is a typical country in the Caribbean region and as such, tourism and agriculture are among the most important economic sectors. Tourists from all over the world come here to swim in the azure waters of the Caribbean. Most important for the tourism industry are the numerous and extremely beautiful tropical islands off the coast of the country. It is dominated by small hotels, holiday villages and bungalows on the seashore. The country has a developing economy and a generally low standard of living. Tourism revenues are very unevenly distributed among the population. However, social contrasts remain far from the luxury and splendor of the paradise islands. Everything looks perfect there. Agriculture is a major source of income for most of the population. Mainly bananas and sugar cane are produced. In addition to tourism and agriculture, part of the revenue comes from the extraction and export of oil.
As with other Caribbean countries, Belizean cuisine is no exception – it is a blend of Mexican and Caribbean culinary traditions. There are also remnants of Mayan traditions. Like Mexican cuisine, the combination of rice and beans is a typical part of Belizean food. The locals love their rice with the aroma of coconut milk. Often this dish is served with a potato salad, traditionally baked bread, parsley and Marie Sharp sauce. In the Belizean cuisine there is meat – beef, pork, chicken and fish, as well as deer, iguana and Hicatee (a local turtle). Usually the meat is grilled, stewed or fried. Here, as in Mexico, tacos are a popular fast food. They are cooked with chopped meat, vegetables (mostly cabbage and onions) and coriander.
In Belize, fermented cashew liquor is very popular. He drinks with all their dishes. Sometimes they add mango or blackberry to the cashew. As in other Caribbean countries, Johnny cake and Black cake are also made here. But … I’ve already prepared them for you. Good thing I came across a recipe for another favorite of these places – Lime pie.
Here are the products you need:
3 large yolks
400 ml condensed milk
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2 tea cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tea cup of cream
tea biscuits or crackers for 20 cm tray
melted butter for mixing with cookies
4 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
pinch of salt
Steps of preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolks and condensed milk. Add the lime peel, lemon juice and cream. Grind with a blender crackers and mix with the melted butter until it is a mixture that you can model as a crust in the pan. Pour the filling over the top and bake for about 30 minutes or until done. Remove the pie from the oven.
At the same time, make a meringue: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. In a second bowl, mix together the sugar, corn starch and salt. Add the sugar mixture, bit by bit, to the egg whites, beating with a mixer after each addition. Continue to beat until the sugar is dissolved. Spread the kissing mixture over the hot pie filling. With a burner, burn the meringue until golden or return to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature and garnish with caramelized lime slices. Enjoy the Caribbean taste!
The dessert is light and very fresh. The aroma and taste of lime take over all your senses, while at the same time the sweet and sour note of citrus is perfectly balanced. I tried this temptation a little warm, but I think it would be delicious too cool.
Next destination – Benin.
