The Tuesday Morning Fruit Boats & Becoming a Dolla Taco Connoisseur

Fruits and vegetables in Belize tend to be expensive.  Particularly if they are imported from outside the country.  And selection can seems a bit limited at times…especially to someone who has just moved here and is used to the huge choice at American (or Canadian) supermarkets.Dreaming of a bit of fall acorn squash?  You might be paying $8-10bzd a pound and you are only finding it at a specialty shop (the Green House) on the island.  Brussel sprouts your thing around Thanksgiving time?  $12-14bzd for about a half pound.  Maybe a pumpkin to carve with the kids?  Get your credit card out…THIS is going to cost you.  Maybe just best to carve a watermelon or pineapple.

How cool is that?

I wrote a post about fruits and vegetables in Belize and what you can expect to find a few months ago.  You can read it here.

For the cheapest prices in San Pedro, you are going to have to go to the source.  Each Tuesday morning for years, the boats come over from the mainland to sell fruits and vegetables.

In the back of town, just past the old football field (which is under some MAJOR construction – pictures below), we arrived at about 8:30am.

The air smells like what the air in heaven probably smells like.  Cilantro.  My most favorite flavor and scent.

We were not the first ones there by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, many of the good veggies were already spoken for; sold to the restaurants and small fruit vendors in town.   (All the bags are already sold.)

Prices seem to be anywhere from 20-50% off…worth the trip if you’ve got lots to buy.

We next headed over to the construction site that, in a few years (!), will be San Pedro Plaza.  Here are the plans.   Wowzer.

And here is what’s happening now.

A new breakfast and lunch stand has opened right in the middle of it all.  Catering to all of the construction workers and pretty much anyone that likes cheap food.  The ladies were super friendly and helpful (not the usual taco stand vibe…which can leave you feeling like you were on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.)

I’ve heard many brag that Orange Walk aka. Suga City does the best dollar tacos.  (Chicken roll ups, really, in fresh corn tortillas.  3 for $1…you order them by the dollar amount.  Order like this if you are very hungry:  “3 dolla taco and horcata”.  Your juice will come in a bag.)  Tacos at this stand are Orange Walk style.

The tacos are rolled up and then wrapped up in a foil packet.  Open up and you’ll see this.

Mmmmmmm…this pictures is of Antojito’s breakfast tacos.

So how are these Suga City tacos?  Delicious.  They are saucier than the usual kind here in San Pedro (so you want to eat them right away) and have chopped cabbage, onions and cilantro.  I love the fresh vegetables.

Here is my ranking of San Pedro’s breakfast tacos so far (it is super hard to rank them since I would eat any one of them in a heart beat…but here it is):

1.  Neri’s Pork Tacos (2 for $1bzd and only available on Friday and Saturday mornings)
2.  Antojito’s Chicken Tacos (every morning, restaurant in Marina-ville, south of town)
3. Neri’s Chicken Tacos
4.  Chicken Taco’s at YJ’s Deli (above)

I have lots more to try.  Let me know if you have any inside tips for me.

And (one last thing, I promise!)…speaking of Suga City…Orange Walk’s First Annual Rum Festival is coming up this week.

I’d go, honestly I would (for you guys), but it just might kill me.  This is why I need an intern.