Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2019 | Page 80

Chef Jennie Staines
“I see myself as a steward, a guardian of those authentic cooking traditions which I like to call Eclectic
Maya. It is just one of the many flavors of Belize.
Instead of using too many European or Eastern spices and herbs, I make every attempt to use traditional
local spices and techniques passed down from our Mayan ancestors, ingredients such as native oregano
and epasote help give my dishes a uniquely Belizean flavor. And in place of conventional meats, I like
to include fresh seafood such as shrimp, conch, stone crab and lobster to give even the most mundane
dishes a distinctly Belizean twist.
Coupled with fresh-cut plantains or sweet coconuts, dishes such as Mole, Pibil and Sere come to life in
my kitchen, not because of any culinary skill I possess, but because I realize that we have something
very special here in Belize. We are tied to the land and to the sea, and our rich culture and traditions
remain largely undiminished.
”
Elvi’s Kitchen ,
“Where something good
IS ALWAYS COOKING”
San Pedro Belize