The food in Hopkins is Garifuna, and Garifuna cooking centres on coconut. Almost everything worth eating involves coconut milk in some form — in the fish broth, in the rice, pressed into fresh bread. Hudut is the signature dish: a whole fish simmered in coconut milk and served with fufu, a dense mash of green and ripe plantain worked together in a wooden mortar. It takes time to make and is usually available at lunch rather than on demand.
Family-run spots along the main road through the village do this food better than the tourist-oriented guesthouses. Look for a handwritten board or just ask at the door what they have. Coconut bread, baked fresh each morning, is worth finding for breakfast. Prices are low and portions are generous. A few places also serve good ceviche made from the morning's catch — conch or snapper, heavy on lime and habanero. Come hungry, eat early, and don't expect anything to be open after eight.