How to Make Belizean Garnaches

July 5, 2024
by belizehubstaff +

Create one of Belize’s most popular street foods, the garnache

One of the best things to do when visiting a foreign country is to try its street food. Imagine walking down vibrant streets for the first time, seeing new sights, talking with friends about new experiences, while happily munching on something absolutely delicious. Plus, there is just something about buying food from street vendors that feels authentic and makes you feel part of the local culture.

Belize has many varieties of street foods. One of the most popular is the garnache. It is a flat, fried corn tortilla with a variety of toppings such as refried beans, cheese, and cabbage. Often a hot sauce is added. Sometimes garnaches are also topped with cooked, shredded chicken or pork; however, it is easy to get vegetarian or even vegan versions.

Here is a simple, delicious version of the garnache which you can make at home.
Ingredients:

A pack of round corn tortillas
A can of refried black or kidney beans
1 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro
½ cup of your favorite shredded cheese; Edom or Gouda are recommended
vegetable oil
Either 2 cups of shredded green cabbage and 1 finely diced tomato OR diced pickled onions

Optional ingredients include hot sauce and cooked, shredded meat.

To create your own delicious garnaches, first fry corn tortillas in oil until they are nice and crispy. While the tortillas drain, if you are using the cabbages and tomatoes, mix them in a bowl with salt and black pepper to taste. Then start adding the toppings in this order:

Advertisment

Spread a thin layer of refried beans onto each fried corn tortilla
Add shredded meat if you are using meat
Follow with the cabbage/tomato mixture OR the pickled onions
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and grated cheese
Add hot sauce if you like

And there you have it, a simple and yet delicious version of a Belizean garnache.

If you’d like to be a bit fancy, you could also add pickled carrots to the mix. Or you could make your own version of Belizean spicy onion sauce, which includes habanero peppers and cilantro as well as onions and which is flavored with allspice, salt, and vinegar. This will really let you taste the unique flavors of Belize! If you decide to make your own sauce, do it the night before so the flavors can marinate.

There you have it, a simple and tasty treat you can make at home, one of the most popular street foods in Belize, the garnache.