Admittedly, the idea of eating anything made from a cow’s foot may not get your taste buds tingling the first time you think about it, but once you’ve tasted a bowl of this hearty traditional Belizean dish, that will change.

Tasting like beef stew, this dish is sold all over Belize, and is considered by many to be the absolute best hangover cure (and heavy partiers will seek out a bowl once the clubs close to fend off any impending bad head they are due). Look for cow foot soup in diners everywhere, and if you’re really lucky you might come across somewhere that cooks it up village style (over a coal BBQ, giving the meat a delicious smoky flavor. 

It isn’t actually the hoof that is used in this soup, instead, it is the “heel” section, with runs from ankle to knee (so there’s more meat than you might have thought). Different places add their own touches to the dish (because of this, in some places it might taste similar to a Vietnamese pho type soup than a beef stew). So, be brave, try this much loved national dish if you are in Belize.