TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Belize Ambassador to Taiwan Candice Pitts on Thursday (June 8) gave Taiwan News a sneak preview of items that will be featured at the Belize stall at Food Taipei 2023, which kicks off on June 14.
Pitts said the booth would feature marine products, including the nation’s “incomparable” lobsters and shrimps. Cacao bean products such as cacao paste, natural frosted cacao beans, cacao mixed nuts, chocolate, cacao tea, and hot chocolate powder will also be on display.
In addition, Belizean rums and wines and the country’s premier hot sauce, Marie Sharp’s pepper sauces will be featured, she said.
This year’s Food Taipei focuses on the themes of food of the future, food security, and food safety—goals that Belize has been ardently pursuing domestically, Pitts said.
Belize has been investing heavily in climate-smart agriculture, given that agriculture and aquaculture are two of its major industries, she said.
In 2022, the World Bank approved US$25 million (NT$767 million) for the Belize Climate Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture Project, which seeks to boost food production capacity and speed up the adoption of climate-smart agricultural measures, Pitts said.
These measures include the installation of drip irrigation systems, application of nutrients through irrigation water, use of water harvesting techniques, adjustment of planting dates to match rainfall patterns, crop rotation, intercropping, planting of agroforestry systems, and adoption of drought-and-heat tolerant varieties.
Describing the flavors of Belizean cuisine, Pitts said, “The cuisines of Belize are a confluence of the cuisines of our various ethnic groups.” The foundation of Belizean cuisine consists of maize, ground food, varied vegetables, meat, seafood, and spices, she explained.
“Our flavors are mostly spicy and savory. Our desserts are sweet, but hardly any of our meals are sweet,” she said.
Belize has at least 6 major ethnic groups, according to the ambassador, and each group has its own cuisines that contribute to the flavor profile of the Central American country. Pitts listed a few examples of the diverse dishes: The Creoles are known for their rice and beans, fried plantains, choice of meat, and coleslaw or potato salad, while the Mestizos often make Escabeche, a type of onion soup, eaten with corn tortillas.
Additionally, the Garifunas are known for their hudut, which is a coconut milk stew containing okras and fish, and eaten with mashed green and ripe plantains.
One dish Pitts thought should be eaten more is dukunus, which is made from grated corn, seasoned, and then boiled in the leaves of the corn. She said her favorite dish is the “boiled-up,” which is a creole dish made of sweet potatoes, yams, cocoa, cassava, and green and ripe plantains, that are boiled until tender.
A sauce of vegetables cooked in coconut oil and either fish or pork are then added to the dish, Pitts said. She mentioned that Mestizo and Mayan cuisines are amongst her favorites because they primarily use maize, her favorite staple.
For Taiwanese tourists who travel to Belize City, the ambassador’s hometown, there are many restaurants that offer tasty local fare. Pitts suggested Gwen’s Kitchen, Celebrities, and Top Chef.
However, she said nothing can beat “good old home-cooking” by her mother, who was a professional chef.
Pitts said she values the friendship between Taiwanese and Belizeans. “For us to realize optimal benefits of our diplomatic relationship, we must continue to explore ways to know each other,” she said.
The embassy has been actively engaging in cultural, educational, and commercial activities and events to promote a better understanding of Belize among Taiwanese. “I invite all of Taiwan to the Taipei International Food Show and to the Belize booth to learn more about the products Belize has to export to Taiwan and to learn more about Belize in general!” Pitts said.
Food Taipei 2023 will be held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from June 14-17.
(Belize Embassy photo)
(Belize Embassy photo)
(Belize Embassy photo)
(Belize Embassy photo)
