A three-day workshop at El Fogon Restaurant in San Pedro Town this October marked the latest stop for the Belize Food Heritage Project, a nationwide push to record and protect the country's traditional cooking before it fades from everyday life.

Starting on October 22nd, the workshop gathered chefs, cultural practitioners and local residents to learn hands-on documentation skills. Organisers handed out cameras and voice recorders so islanders could start recording recipes, techniques and food stories from their own families and neighbours. School-based activities are also planned to get students in the island communities involved.

The scale of the project is substantial: more than 80 traditional Belizean dishes are being documented and catalogued, and organisers hope the work will eventually earn UNESCO recognition for Belizean cuisine. The initiative is led by the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR) under the National Institute of Culture and History, backed by UNESCO International Assistance and the Belize Ministry of Culture.

Why the urgency? ISCR Director Rolando Cocom pointed to a quiet shift in Belizean kitchens: many traditional dishes are simply no longer cooked at home, with households increasingly relying on imported and processed food. Globalisation, rapid urbanisation and climate change all add pressure. Cocom urged residents to reconnect with their culinary roots, noting that cooking at home and involving family in activities like fishing carries real nutritional and social value, on top of the cultural and economic benefits.

For visitors to San Pedro and nearby Caye Caulker, the islands' food scene is part of the draw. Maya-Mestizo traditions sit alongside dishes from newer communities that have made the cayes home, and Cocom argues that this mix gives travellers a richer cultural experience. If the project succeeds, expect the islands' menus and food stories to become an even bigger part of a Belize trip — with local people trained and equipped to tell them.

For travellers who care about food culture, this is a story to watch. The restaurants and home cooks of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker serve dishes with roots stretching back through Maya, Mestizo, Creole and Garifuna traditions, and efforts like this one help keep those recipes alive rather than letting them disappear into convenience food. Visiting and eating locally is one small way to support that.

Story credit: The San Pedro Sun