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Next Saturday 16th October at the ITVET compound, the BTB's ninth annual taste Of Belize will have new and exciting twists. BTB's Director of Quality Assurance, Laura Esquivel tells us more:

Laura Esquivel
"Every year we have our signature competitions; the professional chefs competition; cake decorating competition and the bartending competition. This year in addition to that we have added a new twist, one of the complaints we've been getting is that people don't really get to sample from these competitions so we have change our buffet event into a competition on its own and we have 8 destinations who have come up with themes, a theme of 2 restaurants had to come together and they will be competing for the best destination in terms of food so we'll be seeing food from truly all over the country and we are calling this competition the 'best of Belize competition'."

Andrea Polanco
"So what kind of food do people expect to be tasting at this competition?"

Laura Esquivel
"Ok well one of the rules was that no destination can duplicate food from another destination, so we are going to have a wide variety from Placencia; you are looking at curried lobster and a surprise suite and conch soup and from Orange Walk we have puc-chuck and tacos de relleno; Hopkins, we have something call harabada and a seafood caserole; Punta Gorda, we are going to see grated cocoyam fritters, calaloo in soy sauce and soy and sesame sauce. From Cayo; boyitos and eschabeche. Belize District of course they are coming in with their rice and beans but they are bringing an extra twist; we are going to see gibnut, armadillo, deer, warrie, pecarie from them. From Dangriga we have a cohune cabbage; we have hudut, darasa and casava pudding. From San Pedro; conch fritters, conch seviche, something call che-chak and plantain rice; Like I said I say something call because these are things that some of it we are familiar with, some of it we are not familiar with so it's really giving people an opportunity to taste foods from all of these destinations. we are going to able to see a bartending competition happen where we are going to see all the showmanship and people are going to be timed to make all their drinks. This is sponsored by Travelers, so in term we are going to have a bar from Travelers and also we are going to have a Bowen and Bowen bar too also providing the drinks."

"Well this year it will definitely be much better in that we will truly have that audience participation where the audience that is there will have a say in the winner in the best of Belize competition and this is really making it more interactive for the audience that is there. Everyone in the general public will get to vote for their favorite in this best of Belize competition and your public votes go for 25% of the overall tally for these destinations."

Food samples will also be on sale for three dollars and up from the Best of Belize booths.

Tickets cost ten dollars.