With warm sunshiny weather, lush jungles and beautiful beaches, Belize is a tropical paradise. But sometimes heat can get to even the tannest sun bather and you just need a sweet treat to cool down. For me, in this midst of a hot day in the tropics, I like my treat not cool but ice cold!

Chamoy Shaved Ice-3
It is no different here in San Pedro (except that we have the beautiful Caribbean Sea to cool off, lucky us!). Ice has become a necessity for the brutal summer heat.This need to cool off has resulted in the creation of cool treats made from ice; shaved ice, crushed ice, raspados, snow cones or whatever you may call it. Shaved/crushed ice is smothered with various flavored sugary syrups and toppings you can’t resist, and to be honest we’ve stopped counting the calories.
You can find these treats almost all over the island. Local street vendors ride around town in tricycles selling it to children enjoying their summer. But my favorite place to get a shaved ice is Monique’s Scoops, located in front of Central Park.

Chamoy Shaved Ice-4


These delightful concoctions start out as nothing more than finely grated ice, which eventually gets layered in ones favorite choice of syrups and toppings. You can get anything from wild mango to fruity cherry. However,if you’re buds aren’t delighted by just sweets like many of us Belizeans, why not turn up the heat? Why not put pepper on ice?
Imagine shaved ice topped with key lime syrup, a zesty chamoy sauce and finished up with “picorey”, yum! “What is picorey?” you may question, well “picorey” is this powder concoction of spices, sugar and pepper, it an absolute delight to the taste buds. In this concoction “Picorey” is the equivalent of a chili powder.

Chamoy Shaved Ice-2
So yea, back to the shaved ice, this amazing treats is divine and can really put a stumper on the heat. So next time you are around town be sure to have a throwback moment to the younger days and try a shaved ice.

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About the Author: Janelle Cowo

Janelle loves traveling and experiencing new cultures both within and across the border of Belize. She particularly enjoys history and is an avid Science Fiction, Fantasy and Romance reader. What she lacks in stature, Janelle has (and even surpasses) in spirit for adventure. She is willing to try pretty much anything, from daring jumps to new eats. She loves sharing her adventures with her daughter Inori, hoping to encourage her to lead an adventurous life and enjoy the beauty of the world around her. Janelle lives her life according to Mae West quote “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

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