However, what I said was “ih mi RICH!” which is the biggest compliment you can give to food here in Belize.
Hudut is prepared by mashing a mix of green and ripe plantains into a playdoughy-like texture, boiling coconut milk in a pot with vegetables like okra and spicy peppers, and frying fish. The plantains and fish are served separately, but they are often dipped in the soup. The mashing of the plantains is done in a large mortar and pestle. As I ordered my hudut, I jumped in to help mash the plantains, using a large 3 foot long stick to smash and grind the mixture of ripe and green plantains in a big wooden bowl on the ground. It’s a lot of work, but someone was ready to take over right after me and someone else was ready after them. It was really a team effort.
Hudut is made of locally grown plantains and locally fished fish. Although plantains are cheap, fish is not despite how close we are to the ocean. Fish is in high demand here, and often they get sold first to the resorts and tourists. People come from all over the country to this village specifically with Hudut in mind because of its cultural connection to the village.
