Welcome to Taste of 501

Nestled in the heart of Central America, Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America and is a multilingual nation with the language spoken by most being Belizean Kriol, and other national languages such as Spanish, Garifuna, and the three Maya languages. Due to the influence of its geographic location within Central America and its Caribbean history, Belize possesses a rich and diverse culture and is often coined as a melting pot due to its variety of ethnic groups, such as the Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indians, Mennonites, and other smaller groups such as the Chinese, Taiwanese and Lebanese. Despite these ethnic groups “melting” to form the Belizean identity, while battling cultural identity due to a variety of factors, including globalisation, each group stands out due to their unique contribution to the food, traditions, and overall culture of Belize. The continued intermingling allows us Belizeans to share culture, specifically through food. The preparation of Belizean dishes is not restricted to the confines of its inventor, as the proper way to share culture is to get involved. Thus, to keep Belizean dishes alive and bring comfort away from home, I will share with you my favourite and easiest, most inexpensive dishes that I have been making to remedy homesickness while studying in Jamaica.