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Something about Shopping
(Sep 2002)
First of all, you should understand that
Mexico is a BIG MARKET for the US, and lots of products that
you know and love are available in Mexico, and (hence) in
Belize. Some of them change shape and appearance, and
that's interesting.
I do most of the grocery shopping and
I've learned a lot in four years. Here are
some products that I like. 
Salsa Casera. Casera
means "home-made" and this tastes very nice and I
couldn't do better without a lot of trouble. It is as
good (or better) than Pace Picante Sauce, and it is not
"made in New York City" or San Antonio. (Actually,
it's made in Tulpetlac by people who know what Mexican should taste
like.) There
are other brands but I like this the best. I put it in
my refried beans, and use it to top omlettes, smother
burritos, etc.
(New. In
the States, you can get this at Wal-Mart, and some Family Dollar stores. Look in
the 'Latino' section.)
Newer.
Wal-Mart has just raised the price of Salsa Casera from 79 cents to over a
dollar. I'm sure that the sales of CS were impacting sales of American
Picante Sauces. Family dollar still has a good price.
 Kraft Mayonesa. There
are two kinds with the same  brand
and product name. The trick is to look for the
eggs and oil on the label. The other one (same
name, different picture) is actually not mayonaise, but
Kraft Miracle Whip -- a salad dressing and NOT a
mayonaise. Most gringos don't know this subtle
difference so they pay a couple of bux more for Helman's or
Kraft "Mayo" with an American label. Actually,
this mayo is a little thinner than the Yankee Kraft but it's
more healthy that way. <grin>
 Pasta de Tomate.
This is a wonderful way to package tomato paste! About
four ounces, in a little toothpaste-tube-looking
thing. You can squeeze out a couple of tablespoons,
fold the top over, and keep it for weeks in the
fridge. Tomato paste, of course, is a great secret
weapon for good cooks everywhere. A couple of
tablespoons make the difference between mediocrity and superb cuisine for any dish which calls for tomato sauce or
chopped tomatoes.
 Avocados (The
Belizeans call these "Pears".) They don't
taste much like a Calavo or a Haas, but they're in season
down here for several months, and the price is right!
(Usually about 3 for a dollah) The trick to making
them taste like a "real" avocado is to add a
little Coconut Oil (see below). Personally, I like some granulated
garlic as well. If you make avocado omlettes like I
do, you can chop up the avocado into bite-sized pieces, and
warm it up in a sauté pan with a little oil before you put
it in the omelette. Yum,
yum.
Note: (March 2005) I now have
an early pear trees in my back yard!! It's coming in now, and it may be
the only one in town. I am selling avocados for a dollah and a half
apiece.
 Recado.
The tune you hear playing is
called "Recado Bossa Nova" and it tells me that
this spice, which we call "Belizean Chicken
Spice," is well-known throughout Latin America.
It is made from achiote seed and is almost always used when Belizeans
cook chicken. The recipe calls for one chicken, one
ball of spice, a table spoon of onion and a tablespoon of Consommé (below.) I put the ball -- which costs a
shilling -- in a teaspoon so you could get an idea of the
size of it. It is, in a word, "nice."
New:
(Jan 07) If you're in the States, you can get Recado at Mexigrocer.
I've tried it, and it's just fine! Maybe even nice! I
have also found achiote in a packet in a Latino food display at several stores
in Heartland West. .
 Consome
de Pollo.
<-- This is a great big can of chicken
granules. It costs about half what it would cost in
the US, and I use it a lot. Most Belizean recipes call
for a spoon or two, and I put it in potato and split-pea
soup, beans, and anything like Chinese "chop
sauce" that calls for chicken broth. 
Note: (Jan
2005) While I was in the States, I discovered the Knorr variety of chicken
granules in the Latino section at Wal-Mart for half the price of granules
elsewhere in the store! You can get beef flavored ones there too.
Coconut Oil. -->
I know, it looks like a bottle of Guiness, but it's
not! The plastic bottle cap gives it away. Belizean
ladies grate up bunches of coconuts and boil the mush until
the oil rises to the top. They skim it and strain it,
and put it in these (no-return) bottles. They retail for
four dollah ($2US) It is the secret ingredient
in refried beans and anything with Belizean
avocados. Caution. You can buy some
commercial substitutes. If you're in the States, you
may have to do that, but the stuff is thin, and remarkably
inferior to home-made Belizean oil.
New:(Jan
07) I looked for two years in the States and finally found LouAna
brand Coconut Oil in a big white plastic jar at a Wal-Mart Supercenter...."Non-Hydrogenated,
0g Trans Fat." Very nice.
Sal de ajo (here on the left) means "Garlic
Salt" but this little packet contains less salt and more garlic
powder. If I want garlic salt (as for Garlic Bread/Toast) I need to add
some salt. This card comes with ten packets each packet is enuf for
several uses for me.
Garlic Salt in "bulk", as in a jar, seems to turn
to cement almost immediately in this humid climate, so the packets are a good
idea. The whole card costs me $1.85BZ, so each packet is about a dime and
worth every cent.
I use it without fail on the Avocado, where it really brings
out the flavor, and of course, i use it every other place where I might need
some extra garlic flavor.
Buyng in Bulk.
In the States, I liked to go to Sam's Club and stock
up. Down here, large quantities of
anything are more likely to spoil, and you don't save much
(if anything) by buying the large size. Besides,
shopping is fun. Corozal is a small town, and you'll
always meet some Belizean and Gringo friends.
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