We entered the room filled with food enthusiasts, renowned local chefs, and talented competitors. The room was so dynamic, filled with energy and delicious aromas. This event is definitely the most unique event in Belize. The prizes were amazing, but the competition was top-notch! Only the best of the best could take home the coveted prizes and the opportunity to represent the country at the
Taste of the Caribbean.
The venue was split into three sections, the left for the Baking Competition, the middle for the Master Chef Competition, and the right for the Bartending Competition. The baking competition and the master chef cooking competition started simultaneously. Immediately, the room smelled so good! All these flavors in the air reminded me of an old Campbell’s soup commercial… “Mm! Mm! Good!”
Watching all the chefs and bakers working under the pressure of the clock got be a bit anxious. The judges looked really serious with their chef hats and clipboard and pencils at hand. They would walk around the ovens and prepping areas, observing every movement, every oil splatter and writing it down on the pieces of papers attached to the clipboard. I wasn’t a competitor, but the judges walking around made even me nervous.
Luckily, I was just there to enjoy this delicious event. At the back of the room, there were invited local businesses selling sweet treats, tasty drinks, and savory goods. Luis and I met with small, humble business owners and representatives that were proudly displaying and selling their products. To name a few,
Forbes D-Lite,
BakeD,
Kimmy Ling Fast Food Restaurant,
Tony’s BBQ,
Travellers Liquors, and
The Beverage Division were present at the 2018 Taste of Belize.
For lunch, we couldn’t decide what to get! Luis gave me the option to choose for him, but I, myself was conflicted! There were soups like hudut, hearty foods such as pork tacos and the classic rice and beans with stewed chicken. We contemplated for a while before deciding on the pork tacos – great choice. They weren’t just regular pork tacos, they were Kimmyling pork tacos! We had soft, warm corn tortillas, juicy, well-seasoned pork meat, a refreshing pico de gallo, some spicy, house blended hot sauce and Ms. Kimberly’s signature chipotle sauce. Everything wrapped in a corn tortilla was heaven in my mouth! Ms. Kimberly even came up to us and showed us
how to make a Kimmyling pork taco. If you’re ever in Belize City, make sure you try her tacos! You will not regret it!
The entire morning and most of the afternoon was filled with cooking, baking and drink mixing. There was so much happening that I wanted to be everywhere all at once. Each time the plates were being presented to the judges, the audience would flock to the table in hopes of snapping a candid picture for the ol’ IG (Instagram) – I mean, why wouldn’t you? These plated desserts and dishes were beautiful!
After the first portion of the competition was over, Luis and I decided to get some coffee. After traveling two hours to the old capital, we needed a tall, heaping cup of caffeine to keep us up. I got an ice-mocha while Luis had an apple cinnamon iced tea from
AJ’s Café at the
Ramada Princess and Casino. Being the coffee-lover that I am, this one cup of coffee wasn’t enough, so I took Luis to my all-time favorite coffeeshop in Belize,
Moon Clusters.
Luis had never tried Moon Clusters before, and I was appalled! Moon Clusters in like the Starbucks in Belize – the best! My favorite drink off their menu is the Double Shot Cholis. It’s a great balance of their signature Cholis with double shots of bitter caffeine and sweet ice cream, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon powder. Getting my Moon Clusters was the highlight of my day.
Before we knew it, the competition was ending, and the winners were being announced. Here are the winners of the 2018 Taste of Belize:
Master Chef of the Year:
Junior Chef of the Year:
Dolores Gillett – Student at Cayo
CET
Ernestina Acal – Student at Cayo CET
Pastry Chef of the Year:
Bartender of the Year:
The
Taste of Belize is an amazing event hosted by the
Belize Tourism Board that allows people who are interested in the culinary field to pursue their passion in cooking. The winners of each competition will go and represent Belize at the Taste of the Caribbean – which is the region’s premier culinary competition. We had an amazing time at the event. If you weren’t at the 2018 Taste of Belize, you’ve missed out! But, don’t worry, the next Taste of Belize is happening in 2020.
For anyone who is planning on visiting Belize, make sure you try all the delicious foods that we have to offer! For some of the best places to eat in Belize, check out our
Restaurants page. If you’d like to be a part of the culinary adventure, book your
cultural food tour on Belizing.com! Don’t forget to let us know what you think by giving the restaurants and tours a review!