All aboard the international cruise of flavors.......This crazy cruise ship has embarked upon a world tour, with curious and hungry cachers aboard. The itinerary is every country in the world, one restaurant at a time, all without leaving the confines of Central New Jersey. 66th Stop ... Belize!
Join the Central Jersey Cachers as we venture to the Yucatan Peninsula and the land of the Maya!
Tuesday, December 12 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Casa Maya
615 Meyersville Rd.
Gillette, NJ
Enjoy delicious food and good company as this wacky cruise ship voyages back across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Gulf of Mexico to Belize!
Belize (formerly British Honduras) is an independent country on the eastern coast of Central America, which is bordered on the north by Mexico, on the south and west by Guatemala, and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. Belize has a diverse society, composed of many cultures and languages that reflect its rich history.
Belize cuisine is as varied and vibrant as the several cultures that together make up the country. Belizean food can be as peppery and fiery as the heat of the tropical sun, or as cool and refreshing as the crystal clear Caribbean waters that wash its shores. It can be as light and bright as the hundreds of birds that sing in the rainforests, or as savory and earthy as the dozens of wildlife that roam her acres of primary forest. With the addition of immigrants from India, China, Nigeria and neighboring Central American countries over the years, Belizean cuisine also now has an added international flavor.
Breakfast consists of bread, flour tortillas, or fry jacks that are often homemade. Fry jacks are eaten with various cheeses, refried beans, various forms of eggs or cereal, along with milk, coffee, or tea. Midday meals vary, from lighter foods such as rice and beans, tamales, panades (fried meat pies), escabeche (onion soup), chimole (soup), stew chicken and garnaches (fried tortillas with beans, cheese, and sauce) to various constituted dinners featuring some type of rice and beans, meat and salad or coleslaw.
Dishes originally from the Mestizo culture that are now considered pan-Belizean include garnaches, fried corn tortillas smeared with beans and shredded cheese, and tamales made from corn dough, often containing a filling, that are wrapped in a corn husk and steam-cooked. The most famous Maya dish is called Caldo. Tortillas, cooked on a griddle used to wrap other foods (meat, beans, etc.), were common and are perhaps the most well-known pre-Columbian /Mesoamerican food.
Maize/corn was a significant and sustainable factor in Mayan cuisine and allowed the Mayans to expand their palate and begin cultivating and incorporate many different varieties of food in their diet. Today, as another corn driven society, we indulge in the luxury of a great diversity of foods and many that come from Mayan techniques such as chocolate, avocado/guacamole, tortillas, and tamales.
Chocolate: With the cocoa tree being native to Mayan land, the Mayans were the first to cultivate its seeds and process them to make goods. The cocoa seeds were predominantly used to make a version of hot chocolate where they would roast the seeds in water to make a drink that was mainly used as a stimulant mood enhancer and at ceremonies because for the Mayans, cocoa was a sacred gift from the gods. The cocoa plant or theobroma, which literally translates to "food of gods" was enjoyed by all social classes of Mayan people and because of its stimulative aphrodisiac powers, Mayan couples drank hot chocolate during ceremonies of marriage and engagement. Mayan hot chocolate is much different than today's hot chocolate because of the lack of sugar and milk. Mayan hot chocolate was rather bitter and frothy, but this drink established the roots for one of today's most beloved treats.
Avocado/Guacamole: Originating from southern Mexico and Guatemala, Avocados became a reliable food in Mayan cuisine. The Avocado tree is very reliable in subtropical climates which suited perfectly to the Mayan civilization. Avocados are a very versatile product that can be incorporated in cuisine in many ways.
Corn Tortillas: Maize can be used to connect almost every aspect of Mayan life right down to the roots of the creation of man. It is said in the Popol Vuh that the first humans were crafted from an ear of corn. This creation explanation also includes that people were fundamentally made of masa, or corn dough. Tortillas, driven by the divinity of maize offered countless opportunities for food creation and allowed people of all economic standings to eat freely. Mayan tortilla shells are varied from the current status quo of tortilla shells. The Mayans produced a small three to four inch masa patty that was quite thick to provide a sturdy base for the dish they would be serving. These dishes oftentimes included a meat and could feature avocados or could be a side for a stew at a ritualistic meeting. Today's tortillas are much thinner and often quite larger in diameter than Mayan tortillas. Today you can see the use of tortillas in almost every aspect of dining including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chips, soups, and even crepes.
Tamales: Crafted from yet again masa, or corn dough, and a mix of meats and vegetables, tamales become one of the world’s first convenience foods because of its ease to be transported. Like many popular dishes in Mayan culture, the tamale included the use of the corn husks or banana leaves to ferment and enhance the cooking process of the meal. After the cooking process, the tamale would be unraveled and topped with a sauce or a salsa which could be eaten on the go or often, tamales would be served at Mayan holiday celebrations. Mayan women often went door to door selling their freshly made tamales often in exchange for cocoa seeds. Ancient evidence of tamales is prominent on many Mayan artifacts and paintings being excavated to this day. The modern tamale is much of the time made and enjoyed in the same way as in ancient Mayan cuisine. The meat and vegetable filled tamale can often be found in restaurants and home kitchens throughout the world.
World Culinary Cruise Itinerary
1 - Mexico - July 16, 2012
2 - Greece - August 23, 2012
3 - Japan - September 12, 2012
4 - India - October 11, 2012
5 - Russia - November 14, 2012
6 - Poland - December 5, 2012
7 - Ireland - January 22, 2013
8 - France - February 26, 2013
9 - Spain - March 13, 2013
10 - Thailand - April 30, 2013
11 - Portugal - May 28, 2013
12 - United States of America - June 4, 2013
13 - Afghanistan - July 11, 2013
14 - Egypt - August 6, 2013
15 - United Kingdom - September 18, 2013
16 - Sweden - October 16, 2013
17 - Peru - November 6, 2013
18 - Germany - December 20, 2013
19 - Ghana - January 7, 2014
20 - Polynesia - February 19, 2014
21 - Sri Lanka - March 13, 2014
22 - Korea - April 22, 2014
23 - Jamaica - May 22, 2014
24 - Vietnam - June 25, 2014
25 - Mexico - July 23, 2014
26 - Mongolia - August 19, 2014
27 - Persia - September 17, 2014
28 - Philippines - October 15, 2014
29 - Dominican Republic - November 19, 2014
30 - Trinidad - December 10, 2014
31 - Nigeria - January 20, 2015
32 - Lebanon - February 18, 2015
33 - Cuba - March 24, 2015
34 - Brazil - April 21, 2015
35 - Turkey - May 27, 2015
36 - Hungary - June 6, 2015
37 - Canada - July 15, 2015
38 - Guyana - August 31, 2015
39 - Ethiopia - September 8, 2015
40 - Pakistan - October 14, 2015
41 - Columbia - November 24, 2015
42 - Malaysia - December 8, 2015
43 - Argentina - January 20, 2016
44 - Cameroon - February 17, 2016
45 - Taiwan - March 22, 2016
46 - Morocco - April 26, 2016
47 - Costa Rica - May 18, 2016
48 - Uruguay - June 15, 2016
49 - Angola & Mozambique - July 12, 2016
50 - Haiti - August 30, 2016
51 - El Salvador - September 21, 2016
52 - Uzbekistan - October 19, 2016
53 - Puerto Rico - November 29, 2016
54 - Bangladesh - December 13, 2016
55 - Scotland - January 24, 2017
56 - Guatemala - February 22, 2017
57 - Venezuela - March 28, 2017
58 - Indonesia - April 26, 2017
59 - Syria - May 23, 2017
60 - Italy - June 13, 2017
61 - Ecuador - July 18, 2017
62 - Jordan - August 24, 2017
63 - Liberia - September 21, 2017
64 - Cyprus - October 25, 2017
65 - Israel - November 29, 2017
66 - Belize - December 12, 2017
Follow our culinary adventures throughout Central New Jersey with "The Suitcase of Destiny" and chart our virtual cruise around the world with the "World Travel Geocoin."
Where will this ship pull into port next? Only the pink flamingo knows....
