Above: Woodburning fire and ingredients for our Maya cooking class at Ka’ana

Few tourists head to Belize specifically for the food, but that doesn’t mean the country is a gastronomic backwater. The fresh seafood is a particular joy. Vibrant Caribbean and Spanish flavors infuse many dishes, and chefs have rediscovered Belize’s Maya culinary heritage. We had a delightful time taking a Maya cooking class with Clarita at Ka’ana. Cooking over a wood fire, we learned to make tortillas from scratch; tamales with chicken in a sauce of garlic, tomatoes, cilantro and achiote; and atole, a warm, rich drink of corn masa thinned with cinnamon-infused water.

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