Here in Belize, finding your normal ubiquitous button mushroom is quite an endeavour!  If you are lucky, there may be a meagre two punnets of mushrooms found in the whole of Toledo.  And, you won’t like the price when you see it!  The reason why button mushrooms (Agaricus sp.) are so scarce is because there is no mushroom industry within this country and so we end up with imported goods from Mexico.  Once they reach the country, they end up fetching such exorbitant prices and as a consequence of this, they cannot be eaten as normal everyday produce.

I really like mushrooms but I also do not agree with paying for over-priced goods so I have found a great alternative which is the Shiitake Mushroom.  Chinese people love their own foods and will find any way to get their own familiar food into Belize.  Lucky for us, many Oriental people own supermarkets here where they take the opportunity to sell some of these imported Chinese foods.  You will not believe it:  shiitake mushrooms are found everywhere in Toledo!  So much so, you can stuff yourself with them!

So, today’s recipe is Stuffed Garlic Shiitake Mushrooms!  Enjoy!  I certainly did.