Wanderlust UK – September 2019

36 wanderlust.co.ukSeptember 2019

EXPLORE WORLD F

E

veryonehasa

coconuttreein

theirbackyardin

southernBelize.

Hothabanero

peppersandsweetplantaingrow

plentifullyintheGarifunavillages,

too,oftenpickedfromthegarden

andthrownstraightintoa

coconuttyfishbroth.Or,asthe

localsknowit,serelasus(soup)with

hudut(ripeplantain).

It’stheultimatecomfortfood,

sketchingaportraitofmychildhood

inthevillageofDangrigainjustone

bite.OnSaturdays,thefishybrothis

justwhatthevillagerseat.No-one

goestosupermarketsorchain

restaurants.Alltheingredientsare

organic;theyaregatheredinseason, Visitwww.wanderlust.co.uk/199

GetthefullSereLasusrecipe

Sean Kuylen

Asharpact

ChefSeanKuylenstudied

theartofAmericanand

FrenchcuisineinSan

Francisco,California,but

hispassionforfoodcame

fromhismother.Heis

now,arguably,themost

famousBelizeanchefand

recentlyhelpedTeam

BelizewinBronzeatthe

TasteoftheCaribbean

Awards.

EATTHIS...

SereLasus

capturesthe

vibrantspirit

ofBelize

ChefSeanKuylentells

ushowthiscoconutty

fishbrothcelebratesthe

tropicalnation’shistory

cultureandproduce...

servedall-year-round,though.You

canheadtoDangrigaorHopkins

foramoreauthentictaster,buteven

atislandresortsinAmbergrisCaye

you’llfindacontemporaryversion

thatwillcharmeventhemost

traditionalvillager.

Partoftheappealisitsversatility.

Switchuptheingredients,asand

howyoulike–anykindoffish

canbesubstitutedintothistasty

broth,andscotchbonnetswillwork

inplaceofhabaneros.Serelasus

withhudutmaybehumblefare,

butitcertainlycapturesthe

vibrantspiritofournation.

takenstraightfromthegardenor

farm.Sweetsnappersandseacrabs

arehookedstraightfromthesea

• nothingisprocessedinthisdish.
  ButBelize’sindigenousGarifuna
  culturehasaparttoplayinthis
  recipe,too.Afterbeingshipwrecked
  oncoursetotheWestIndies,the
  GarifunasettledinBelize’ssouthern
  villagesintheearly1800s,blending
  AfricanandCaribbeaninfluencesto
  createacuisinearoundingredients
  easilyavailableinthesubtropical
  climate,fromcassavatococonuts.
  Traditionally,abowlfulofsere
  lasusisspoonedoutwithasideof
  cassavabreadon 19 November–
  anationalholidaythatcelebratesthe
  Garifuna’ssettlement.Itspopularity
  meansthatdifferentkindsare

Meet Sean!

Come and meet Chef

Sean Kuylen at our

upcoming Belize Food

Event on 3 September!

wanderlust.co.uk/

events

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