One of the quintessentially Belizean dishes out there would be fry jacks. While this dish is hardly healthy, it is certainly popular. Resembling mini puff pastries, fry jacks are wads of dough fried to a golden brown. While it remains unclear how they got their name, fry jacks are cherished by Belizeans.
Why No Belizean Vacation is Complete Without Some Fry Jacks
Fry jacks are more common than sliced bread and a common breakfast combines them with scrambled eggs, refried beans and some sort of cheese. Fry jacks are also a common lunch staple, paired with dishes like rice and beans or stewed chicken.
Where Can You Get Some Fry Jacks? Cafe Mar, Chabil Mar!
At Chabil Mar, we pride ourselves on providing authentically unique flavors and presentations while using the freshest possible ingredients and from-scratch preparations on all dishes. Our Chef Daniel and Marsha, bake our breads every morning, fresh for you, and our Fry Jacks to order for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The ease of preparation of fry jacks means that you can find them in just about any restaurant in Placencia and throughout Belize.
If you happen to stroll down the beach or hop on an easy 5 minute bike ride into Placencia Village from Chabil Mar for some eats, it’s easy to find a nice family-run and/or beach-front restaurant just minutes away as well.
What is the Best Time of Day for Fry Jacks?
While you can have them for lunch, breakfast is the best time for fry jacks. Remember that you should have them hot and fresh.
What is the Best Way to Eat Fry Jacks?
The fry jack serves the same role as bread on the Belizean plate, working as accompaniment rather than a main dish. A traditional Belizean lunch is fry jacks served with re-fried beans, some sort of meat and cheese. A traditional Belizean breakfast would combine the fry jacks with many of the same things you would put on a pancake, although honey is more easily acquired than maple syrup.
How to Make Belizean Fry Jacks at Home
Fry jacks are a traditional breakfast food paired with either a sweet (honey, jam or powdered sugar) or savory (cheese or refried beans) aspect. Fry jacks are also great for soaking up the sauces and gravies of other savory dishes.
Ingredients
- Flour, all-purpose, 2 cups
- Water, 1 cup
- Salt, 1 tsp
- Shortening, 1 tbsp
- Powder, baking, 3 tsp
- Oil
Directions
- Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Cut the shortening into your flour.
- Slowly add the water, mixing as you go, until you have a soft, non-sticky dough.
- Halve the dough and give it 15-20 minutes rest.
- Add flour to your work surface and roll the dough into rounds between 10″ and 20″ in diameter.
- Cut the dough into 3″ strips twice, leaving you with the proper size. Fry jacks are commonly made into triangles.
- Make a small slit into each piece of dough and then fry each side in very hot oil until the fry jacks reach a golden brown coloring.
- Remove from the fryer, garnish as you like and serve.
So there you have it; everything you ever wanted to know about Belize’s version of quick bread and even a recipe to make it yourself. Eat up!
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