Belize City, Belize, – Three culinary bloggers were in country to spend a week experiencing the flavors of Belize. Julia Coney – Blogger of Black Atlas, Kristine Hansen – Blogger of AOL’s Slashfood and Kelly Goodman – Blogger of Travellious, traveled around country to get a true taste of the varied delicacies Belize has to offer. Their visit took them to three distinct destinations across the country where they engaged in various tasting sessions of meals that are unique to those specific localities.
In the Northern district of Corozal they visited Fruta Bomba, which is the largest Papaya exporter in Belize. They were impressed with over 800 workers employed by this local company that generates about 30 million Belize dollars in revenue annually. In Orange Walk, they braved a trek through dense jungle vegetation to view what has remained of the Ancient Maya City of Lamanai; the third largest, and possibly most interesting archeological site in Belize. The bloggers experienced the spectacular views seen from atop several of its large temples. They also got a chance to visit the on-site museum that houses an amazing collection of impressive artifacts depicting Maya Gods and animals. In the nearby Mennonite Community of Indian Church Village they visited with one of the families residing there and got an inside look at one of Belize’s more private cultures.
The last leg of the journey took them down South to Dangriga where they got a first-hand look at the processing of Marie Sharp’s famous pepper sauce, jams and jellies. They instantly fell in love with the recipes that utilize habanero peppers, vegetables and a host of local fruits. They were very enthused to learn that Marie Sharp is a family owned business that has been established in Belize since 1980. The varied products have since become famous both at home and abroad. The final stop on their weeklong stay was an exciting day out on Southwater Caye. Located directly on Belize’s Barrier Reef, the 12 acre property is surrounded by diverse mangrove islands, tidal seagrass flats and pristine coral reefs teeming with marine life. There the bloggers got their first taste of Caribbean Sea as they snorkeled in waist deep crystal clear waters.
Participating private sector partners who assisted in making this trip a success included Old Belize, Las Palmas Hotel, Hotel De La Fuente, Victor’s Inn, Tony’s Inn, Pelican Beach Resort, Lamanai Outpost Lodge, S & L Travel and Tours and Tropic Air.
