Who doesn’t LOVE lobster? Briny yet sweet and chewy, we can’t get enough lobster! There are so many ways to enjoy the lovely lobster and in Belize, we know them all. Each year from July 1- February 28 is Lobster Season in Belize and we could feast on this crustacean for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The main difference between our lobsters and their cold-water-counterparts is the lack of front claws. The Caribbean spiny lobster has 10 little legs but no large claws like the Maine lobsters you’ll find up north so, though you’ll see some chefs utilize the head meat, for the most part we are all about the tails. Belize’s warm-water lobsters are one of the fastest growing species and they reach maturity in just 2 to 3 years.
Protected for a portion of the year, environmental organizations and our own Fisheries Department monitor numbers of wild caught lobster to safeguard this important resource. Lobsters are celebrated at regional festivals across the country throughout July which is the start of lobster season in Belize. If you happen to be here during that time you’ll catch cooking competitions, live music performances and craft markets.
Your Blue Reef Island stay wouldn’t be complete without at least one lobster meal. Here are just a few of our favorites but feel free to request others if our suggestions don’t tickle your taste buds; our chef is always amenable to special requests! Here is how we eat lobster in Belize:
5 Lobster Eggs Benedict
Some say that breakfast is the most important meal, that it sets the tone for the rest of the day, and that may be true. Our favorite breakfast is Lobster Eggs Benedict and best enjoyed mid-morning with a mimosa then followed by a leisurely nap in a swaying hammock. This is a vacation-mode meal! Decadent and rich, a true treat.
4 Lobster Creole
A regional favorite, Lobster Creole is a dish prepared by stewing meat with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and sweet peppers to create a rich sauce. Typically served alongside herby cilantro rice, this meal really hits the spot without weighing you down. Kick up the heat by adding some Marie Sharp’s hot sauce; she is a staple on any Belizean dining table.
3 Lobster Mac and Cheese
Not traditionally a Belizean dish, but who doesn’t love a good lobster macaroni and cheese?! Blue Reef makes theirs with locally made Mennonite cheese, a strong and sharp cheddar. The salty, creamy cheese pairs so well with sweet and chewy lobster meat. A brown, baked crust covering the luscious pasta filling, enjoy it alongside a garden salad and cold Lighthouse beer.
2 Lobster Ceviche
We eat ceviche all year round; with shrimp or conch is great but we like it best with lobster. Finely chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro and habanero are all cured in fresh lime juice with hunks of clean, chewy lobster. Scoop it up with crunchy, stone-ground corn chips–your taste buds will sing! A snack that satisfies like no other. Bright, light, clean flavors burst from a bowl of ceviche. Enjoy it poolside with Blue Reef bar’s famously strong rum punch.
1 Hook and Cook
Our number one, very favorite way to enjoy lobster is perhaps the simplest but arguably the most satisfying – catching and cooking it yourself on a beach in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. One of our most popular excursions is something we call “hook & cook.” Lobster tastes the best freshly pulled from the reef, split and thrown on the grill and paired with an ice-cold beer under a hot bright sun. We’ll pick this for atmosphere any day over a fancy sit-down restaurant. Who needs mood-music when you have the rhythmic rush of gently waves and rustling palm fronds?
Blue Reef’s guides aren’t only expert fishermen, they also know the best-kept-secret spots to free diver for lobster and they’re happy to share the knowledge with you. Work up an appetite collecting your lunch then feast on the beach; no shirt, no shoes, no worries!
