The Belize Tourism Board challenged 17 chefs to go wild, live on the edge, and try something new today.
It is called the new tastes of Belize and under the guidance of a master chef, these local cooks created their own twists on old treats it was a great show and for Keith Swift a chance to eat more than just his usual turkey dinner for Friday's lunch.
Keith Swift Reporting,
They are the Belizean staples we love like chicken, pork, and of course rice. And now 17 local chefs have twisted these local favorites and added a Caribbean flavor: meet the new tastes of Belize. Tyrone Arana curried his love for pork chops with love for a certain girl named Julia.
Tyrone Arana, Chef
"Well Pork Curry Medallions is dedicated to my wife actually and that is why it is called that. This is from pork chops stuffed with breadcrumbs and fresh herbs. I have a potato mashed with garlic onion ginger, which you make a mold out of. Then you just present it all nicely on your plate for special occasions."
Chef Eva Caliz from Pelican Beach Resort had her own twist on pork chops and mango.
Eva Caliz,
"You have pork with mango chutney. I seasoned it with black pepper, salt, and garlic and then from there I half bake the potato then I take it out of the oven, peel and slice it. From there I put on the butter and the garlic and sauté it so it can brown a little and get a brown color. From there I take it out of the frying pan and put it on a plate and drain."
"I came up with the creation like how it is mango season."
All 17 chefs learnt to cook 'outside the box' in a culinary course sponsored by the BTB. The one-week they spent in the kitchen was put to the test this afternoon. Did they pass? A lucky few got the chance to test taste.
Taste Tester #1,
"I think it's great. It's diverse: it's spicy, sweet, a little tart in there and I am glad that the participants used everything right down to spinach. I think that's spinach in there. But from what I tasted so far yeah it's good."
Taste Tester #2,
"I would say it's wonderful. Its delicious and you can't miss the richness. The flavors have been brought out in the way these have been prepared."
Tracy Taeger, Director of Tourism & Taste Tester
"Its excellent. It's very good. I hope you are having some."
Well I did and so the ultimate test of these new tastes was still ahead. So I piled it on, the rice, the chicken, and beef and then I took the first sampling of these new tastes. And then I tasted the new tastes of Belize.
Today was just the main course and next week they will unveil the new tastes in dessert so stay tuned for that.
The culinary course was sponsored jointly by our tourism board and the Caribbean Program for Economic Competition.