Belizean Ingredients for Cooking Belizean Food

Belizean cuisine is an amalgamation of the various cultures that have influenced the country over the years, from Mayan to Creole, Garifuna to Mestizo, and more. Here’s a list of ingredients commonly found in authentic Belizean recipes.

A

• Achiote (annatto)
• Allspice
• Armadillo

B

• Banana
• Banana Leaf
• Bay Leaves
• Beef (Meat Pies)
• Bell Peppers (green, yellow, red) in Belize commonly known as “Sweet Pepper”
• Beans (red, black, kidney, pinto, butter)
• Bird Pepper
• Bitter Orange
• Bread Fruit
• Black Pepper
• Black Recado

C

• Cabbage
• Callaloo
• Canela (cinnamon)
• Carrots
• Cassava
• Cashews (fruit, nuts)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Celery
• Chaya (Mayan Spinach)
• Chayote
• Cheese (see Dutch Edam Cheeze, Happy Cow Cheese)
• Chicken
• Chile, Ancho, Molido, Pasillo
• Chicken Feet (Ceviche)
• Chorizo
• Cilantro (coriander)
• Cloves
• Coco (also known as tarro root)
• Cocobrut
• Cocoa (Powder, Nibs, Fruit)
• Coconut (crusts, bun, milk, oil, meat, cake, shrimp, pie)
• Cocoyol (also known as “Supa”)
• Conch
• Corn (Masa, Porridge, Tortilla)
• Cornmeal
• Cow Foot (Soup)
• Crab (Blue)
• Cucumber
• Cumin
• Curry
• Custard Apple

D

• Dasheen
• Dutch Edam Cheese (Hardback Cheese)

E

• Evaporated Milk
• Epazote

F

• Fish (snapper, barracuda, grouper)
• Flour (all-purpose)

G

• Garlic
• Gibnut (Royal Rat)
• Golden Plum

H

• Habanero (Pepper)
• Happy Cow Cheese (Processed Cheese)

I

• Iguana

J

• Jicama

L

• Lard
• Lime
• Lobster

M

• Masa
• Maseca
• Mango (Black, Slippers, Green)
• Molasses

O

• Okra
• Onion (Spanish)
• Oregano (Mexican)
• Oxtail

P

• Papaya
• Pavo (Turkey)
• Pepitos
• Pig Feet (Pattitas)
• Pig Tail (Split Pea Soup with Pigtail)
• Pigeon Peas
• Pineapple
• Plantain
• Potato
• Pork (Pibil)
• Pumpkin

R

• Radish
• Recado (Black, Red)
• Rum(White, Dark, Spiced)

S

• Salad Cream
• Sapodilla
• Shrimp
• Seafood
• Serano (Pepper)
• Split Peas
• Soursop
• Sour Orange
• Sugar (white, brown)
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Sweet Potato (Pone)

T

• Tamarind
• Tomato
• Turtle (Sea)

V

• Vinegar (white)

W

• Wangla (sesame seeds)
• Watermelon
• Worcestershire Sauce

Y

• Yam

Z

• Zircote
• Zucchini

Many of these ingredients, while common in Belize, are also staples in other Central American and Caribbean countries. Belizean cuisine is a delightful mix of local and regional flavors!