Hi everyone,

I'm new here and I hope I'm in the right forum for this question.

I will be traveling through CA later this year heading to SA and I'm an aficionado of exotic foods. To that end, I would like to know if anyone knows of any restaurants in the Belize area that prepares and serves the wish willy lizard. I had Gila monster soup in northern Mexico that was to die for.

Thanks for any help.

Is this a joke?

I attended a third world wildlife federation all-you-can-eat buffet which contained mountains of fried Red Legged Frog legs, Snail Darter pâté, roasted Spotted Owl, barbecued Rhino, and Cheetaburgers, which according to one Chinese guy, taste "just rike dog."

Dog, did someone say dog?

I don't know much about any lizard, but I have heard they eat a large rodent like animal, and I'll be damned if I can remember what they call it. THAT would be "exotic" for me......

gibnut

gak
no, i meant to say GAK

tastes like chicken

No, Frog, this isn’t a joke. In Central America, those with green scales are called iguanas, and those with the brown scales and tastier meat—the ones people prefer to eat—are called garrobos. The meat tastes like chicken but is a little tougher and has less fat. In this area, the meat is a delicacy, a cure-all and an aphrodisiac. They are a traditional food, and people eat them when they are ill. They are like a total energy vitamin. I know that they are bred on farms in El Salvador, shrink-wrapped and then shipped frozen in cardboard boxes lined with plastic foam.
I know iguana meat is available in Costa Rica, If I am able to spend some time in Belize, I just thought I would ask about their availability. I prefer not to eat the frozen meat, I like it fresh.
The Gibnut sounds interesting, too. I saw a stuffed roast leg of Gibnut advertised at a mainland Belize restaurant, just don’t remember the place.
I did have dog meat in China.

The gibnut is good. Maruba did have gibnut l'orange that was excellent. In Ecuador and Peru "cuey" or guinea pig is popular. Kind of chewy meat,but may have been the way it was prepared. Cowfoot soup is very popular in Belize and wonderful. My husband love the soup at Mickeys.

In Belize iguannas are a protected species.
Belize long ago was known for hunting and sklinning and general "big game" bru-ha-ha. Today Belize prefers the outlook of conservation.
Please do not kill or eat iguannas - at this time, in this place, it's both illegal and irresponsible.

Thanks for the info Diane. I was convinced that most all CA locales sponsor iguana breeding programs, to protect wild iguanas while still providing Belizeans with an important food product. The programs are designed so the local population could raise iguanas for food. Some programs raise them to return to the wild.

I don't know about lizards, but since I've been on this board I've seen one roasted "MQQSE" and one squashed "LOTUSFLAME".

hahhaha too funnu son....lets see...gibnut, pickary, charlie price, joncrow, one pot, cat, dog, warri, iguana...that's all the exotic food I can remember right now...no I never ate any of these and never will...I have a rule ...if it doesn't rot, is ugly and cold blooded, and I can't pronounce the name, I don't eat it..I guess that leaves out most french foods...hahhahah

why would anyone eat the cute wish willy? if you want the taste of chicken...damn eat a chicken

I ate Green Iguana or Bamboo Chicken as they are called in Belize when I lived in Cayo in the 80's. It was okay, kind of fishy taste to me. I heard they are still eaten in the Cayo area by many locals. I doubt you would find any in any restaurants. What is available at many local restaurants throughout Belize is Gibnut or as many call it The Royal Rat. Taste good and was served to Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Belize, hence the name. Had some friends serve me dog once as a joke. Ate it every day for a week. Tasted real good but I was very p..... off when I found out. Did not kill me though. In Belize people also eat Hikitee (sp) which is a kind of inland turtle. Have never tasted it. As a kid I tasted some parrot soup one of my dads workers made. Tough meat. A few years ago some of my farm workers who were from El Salvador were roasting Quash or Cotomandy (sp) (family to the racoon). They served it with onion, tomato & cilantro on hot hand made tortillas. It was great. Had some Chineese friends who had baby rats pickled in scotch. They would pick it up by the tail and suck the rat down. YUK and what a waste of good scotch.

Chiney man eat anything....lol

See Iguana Stew recipe at:

http://www.hotelmopan.com/recipes/meattop.htm

"Game" such as this is mostly had in the bush. My Belize family hunts piccary, gibnut, quash, hicatee but subsists mostly on ground food (casava, yam, potato, etc.) and of course rice & beans.

I believe I have all the information that I need on the subject, and I thank all the serious responders. Perhaps I will be able to discover your beautiful little country later this year. Adieu

Oh, Belizeans don't eat wish willy at all. They are slightly smaller member of the iguana family and there is a belief that they live in grave yards and feed on dead bodies. Hence no eating. I remember them well as I lived next to a cemetary and loads of them lived in there. Don't know what they eat though. Are probably vegetarians.