7 News Belize

The Taste of Belize
posted (August 31, 2009)

The annual Taste of Belize event was held this weekend at Old Belize. For the tourism Board, it’s a signature event displaying the diversity of talent and the flair that make Belize’s tourism industry distinctive. This year, the standard was higher with the participation of an international culinary specialist to judge the dishes. Here are some highlights.

Laura Esquivel, Director of Product Development - BTB
“We had wonderful competitors this year as the head chef mentioned we had a real, everybody stepped up their game this year. We were able to bring back the cake decorating competition which weren’t able to have last year and we were very happy with the results and the level of the competition that we saw this year.”

Victor Nal, Top Chef
“Man I’ve been cooking like for the past 15 years.”

Alfonso Noble,
“Is this best thing that like has ever happened to you?”

Victor Nal,
“Well I would say yes. This is my first win and I have come couple times before and just made it to the finals and this time I came prepared and ready so I was more ready this time and so that was the reason why I made it.”

Hinnerk Bon Bargen, Culinary Institute Ambassador
“What I like to see here is the enthusiasm and the level of enthusiasm of people to make things happen with limited means. It is not an established scene like New York or anywhere it is a very young people who want to learn and grow and I really enjoyed that.”

Laura Esquivel,
“We think that there is a niche market out there that we haven’t been able to tap into because our local Belizeans aren’t really aware of the kind of careers that are available in the culinary arts and so it is all an expansion of us wanting to get more people employed in fields that are well paying jobs and of course expanding our own skills here, fitting that niche market of tourists who want to travel to taste cuisine around the world.”

Mariono Coc, Top Bartender
“In the first round I created three drinks which was my original cocktails, the Mosquito Bite. We had the Fishermen’s Punch and we got a Hokpin’s Breeze.”

There were also winners in other categories.

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