Every culture has their own unusual ‘delicacies’ and Belizeans are no exception. Maybe due to the mix of cultures that settled here; the escaped Africans slaves as well as the German Mennonites, Maya (and more) over the years who brought their own customs and traditions. Mash that into one melting pot and you have a plethora of bizarre!
1. Meet the Gibnut or Paca, also affectionately known as the Royal Rat (since served to Queen Elizabeth II on her Belize visit some years ago). Many Belizeans will tell you its a must-try delicacy. Check out Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern gibnut feast here.
2. Split pea soup with Pig tails or Pig Snouts – served with handmade flour dumplings over white rice, this Belizean comfort food is dear to our hearts.
3. It’s no secret that Belizeans love game meat and the Peccary is no exception. Stewed, roasted, smoked or any other variation – it’s an exotic dish that begs to be tried.
4. Armadillo – also known to the Maya as “Wech” is often roasted and served in tacos (with a twist of lime, yum!), as sal-picon (a roasted meat ceviche) and a variety of other ways .
5. Cow-foot or Cow-tongue soup – a famous Belizean response to a hangover is exactly what it says it is.
6. Hickatee or River Turtle is prized meat – already an endangered specie and with a limited hunting season in Belize, consider yourself lucky if you get to try it.
7. Bamboo Chicken or Iguanas – Definitely an acquired taste and mostly consumed in rural areas, but if your taste buds crave the rare and exotic – this is a must try! (Don’t worry, our resident iguanas are perfectly safe from our kitchen!)
8. Bukut or Stinking-Toe (Cassia Grandis) – Not all the bizarre food in Belize are animals; this lovely tree that showers Ka’ana’s guests with its tender pink petals as they’re shown to their rooms, produces pods with sticky, jam-like sections surrounding the seeds. The odor leaves much to be desired (hence its Belizean name) but it’s well known for its medicinal and nutritional values.
November first begins the Dia de los Muertos (also known as “Day of the Dead”) festivities with All Saints Day in which the deceased children are honored and remembered. November second All Souls Day is for the remembrance of the adult dead. Dia de los Muertos combines these days to celebrate the the deceased and enjoy their memories.
A hot cup of masa gruel known as Ix-pa-xa (pronounced Ish-pa-sha), otherwise known as Atole made from purple corn is used to nourish and warm the spirits when they return and/or when they leave on these special days.
Here’s the recipe for this tasty Maya treat: Ixpaxa
3lbs purple corn (not on the cob) – this is to be left 1-2 days to “spoil” while being softened in the water.
1 tin condensed milk
1 habanero pepper
Method
Blend corn and some of the water with condensed milk and habanero pepper.
Strain to remove husks,
Boil and add sugar to taste.
Enjoy.
Historical note: Before the invention of condensed milk, ripe plantains were used to sweeten this dish. Hence for authentic taste substitute ripe plantains for condensed milk.
Here’s the lowdown on what we are having today. It’s a crowd favorite here and a traditional Belize breakfast dish you can find in our restaurant La Ceiba. This tasty platter is built up with layers of handmade tortillas, fried organic eggs, American cheese and re-fried beans. It’s drizzled with a fresh homemade sauce made from tomatoes, basil, onions and garnished with chopped cilantro - all grown here in Ka’ana’s organic garden. So Tasty!
So it’s been one of those days where no amount of espresso will keep my mind focused! The hours keep ticking by and my to-do list keeps growing. Which leads me to a task I always consider one of the easier on my schedule, expanding and updating the playlists for the restaurant and bar. Seems like a fun job, something fairly straightforward and achievable irrespective of how my mushed my head is, right? Maybe not…
When we created La Ceiba Restaurant, the ethos was very much to represent the best of local and regional styles with an international flair. Chef Kuylen reaches the gastro heights with his understanding of local favorites, doubled with his San Fran experience. Polo brings the noise with his cocktails, and I’m reasonably happy with our wine offering (which I can’t blame on anyone else!). We’ll come back another time to discuss design, service etc, but the part of the experience that’s often under-appreciated and overlooked is that of the music. I chose to go with regional music of all kinds, as well as a few from further afield that we all personally enjoy. I wanted the music to be chilled-out and loungy, have a latin edge, and wanted stayed away from lyrics (especially English) so as not to take away from the aesthetic of the culinary experience. In general I opted for more light-hearted, upbeat music to make the experience more enjoyable and carefree. Think vacations, chilling, summertime, food, cockails, friends and fun!
Achieving this however is a whole ‘nother thing entirely! Where to start? It’s been a long road, a lot of trying and testing and listening and changing. And it’s ever-evolving. I cannot wait for our upcoming partnership with the ever-so-cool Stonetree Records, but in the meantime will have to settle for foraging through the internet wilderness, searching for the sweet taste of latin lounge music. Wish me luck!
We warmly welcome you to Ka’ana, which means “heavenly place” in the Mayan language.
We are delighted that you have decided to visit the beautiful Cayo District of Belize where there is an abundance of high quality tours and experiences, all of which are worth visiting. Mayan temples, ancient caves, sparkling rivers where you can go tubing or canoeing, majestic rainforest, horseback riding are just a few of those choices, and our concierge will be pleased to assist in planning trips and activities; and creating a personalized itinerary.
After a long day touring our country where else to relax than in our tranquil and romantic spa enjoying a variety of calming and revitalizing massages, body and hair treatments. Werecommend making an appointment before starting your day & adventure.
During your visit we would like you to know that each and every member of the team is dedicated to making your stay a pleasurable and memorable one. Please count on us to be there to assist with any request or service you require.
And so to food! Chef Manolo Castillo is recognized as one of the finest Executive Chefs in Belize and we hope that you will enjoy a carefully balanced culinary range of dishes to tickle and delight all your taste-buds. To compliment the food, we invite you to try some fine wines and cocktails from our wine cellar and Martini Lounge Bar.
Ka’ana was designed as a tribute to Belize and its people – all of the wooden furniture is made of Belizean hardwood by local craftsmen. Also, all of the artwork and slate carvings were commissioned from local artists specifically for display and sale at Ka’ana.
On behalf of the entire team “Kulun Bilesh” which is Mayan for “welcome”. Enjoy your visit.
