I live on the beach. Here in Belize, there are so many fish, flowers, trees, and animals all around. There are so many new things to learn, so many different types of people (just like in the US), and so many new foods to try.
I tried a local, cultural dish called Hudut (pronounced "who - doot"). It is like a soup made of coconut milk, fish, and mashed plantains which are similar to bananas.
It felt welcoming and inclusive to try such a cultural dish. The roadside vendors, who set up under a small wooden structure with the black, yellow, and white Garifuna flag waving, even let me help make it. Hudut is a Garifuna dish you can’t find many other places. Garifuna is how you describe the Garinagu people who first came to the Caribbean as slaves. Eventually, they fought for their freedom and carry on many traditions onto this day including drumming, dancing, cultural outfits, and food like Hudut. For this occasion, the Hudut was made as part of a fundraiser for an upcoming celebration of Garifuna Settlement Day in November.
It was a hot day and it was a hot dish, so I was sweating! But it truly is a delectable dish. In Belizean Kriol, a language spoken throughout Belize, we say “ih mi nais” pronounced “it me nice” meaning that it was good, it tasted good, and I enjoyed it.
