Inside our Belize event: A flavour of Belize’s tropical cuisine

Thanks to its vast Caribbean coastline, Belize is known for white sands, turquoise waters and palm fronds. Why it’s not as famed for its cuisine is beyond us…

Boasting a vibrant blend of Central American and Caribbean flavours, Belizean dishes offer everything from bright acidity to comforting umami. That’s why Wanderlust teamed up with the Belize Tourism Board to put on a cooking demonstration for 100 lucky readers.

A reader tries their hand at Garifuna drumming with expert, Ray McDonald (Victoria Middleton)

The event went off with a bang – that is, the rumble of traditional Garifuna drums…

First course: Cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork paired with cool pineapple relish and sour cream) with cod and black bean panadas. These traditional staples went down a storm…

Cochinita pibil (Victoria Middleton)

Cod and black bean panadas (Victoria Middleton)

First on the mic: A talk from Wanderlust’s resident Belize travel expert, Editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes.

Editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes gives a presentation (Victoria Middleton)

Lyn Hughes shares her insight with devoted readers (Victoria Middleton)

Chef Sean Kuylen gives his presentation (Victoria Middleton)

Readers chat to the experts (Victoria Middleton)

After the appetisers, Chef Sean Kuylen gave a lively presentation on his journey as an authentic Belizean chef before wowing us with a masterclass. He fried whole snapper in coconut milk and used traditional tools to prepare Hudut, a delicious paste made from plantains.

Chef Sean hollowing out a coconut (Victoria Middleton)

Freshly hollowed coconuts (Victoria Middleton)

Chef Sean preparing to fry the snapper (Victoria Middleton)

Whole snapper in coconut milk with fresh herbs (Victoria Middleton)

Chef Sean retrieves the mashed plantains to make Hudut (Victoria Middleton)

Cold course: Tuna ceviche with lime and coriander, with fresh avocado pico de gallo.

Ceviche is a method of preparing raw fish, originating from South America. Fresh pieces of fish are cured with citrus, either lemon or lime, and seasoned with onion and herbs. The acid in the citrus makes the fish soft and tender.

Tuna ceviche with lime and coriander (Victoria Middleton)

Avocado pico de gallo (Victoria Middleton)

Readers looking at literature (Victoria Middleton)

Chocolate tasting (Victoria Middleton)

Editor in chief, Lyn Hughes chatting to readers (Victoria Middleton)

Needless to say, we came away from this event with full bellies and a new favourite food culture…