Lethem sits right on the Brazilian border, and that proximity shapes every meal you'll eat here. The food is a fascinating blend of Guyanese Amerindian tradition and Brazilian cowboy culture, with a little Rupununi savanna thrown in for good measure. You'll find cassava in almost everything — boiled, fried, or made into casareep, the dark, smoky sauce that forms the backbone of Guyanese pepperpot. Order pepperpot whenever you see it; slow-cooked with cinnamon and wiri wiri peppers, it's deeply comforting and unlike anything you've tasted.

The market in central Lethem is the beating heart of local food life. Mornings are best, when vendors arrive with fresh catches from the Takutu River and garden produce from surrounding villages. Grilled fish served with boiled plantain and pepper sauce is the classic market breakfast, eaten standing up with strong, sweet coffee. You'll also find tuma — a thick, fermented cassava drink made by Makushi women — which is an acquired taste but absolutely worth trying if offered, as sharing it carries real cultural meaning.

For sit-down meals, a handful of simple guesthouses and small restaurants along the main road serve reliable, generous plates of rice, black-eyed peas, and stewed beef or chicken. Brazilians cross the border regularly to shop and eat, so churrasco-style grilled meats have quietly become a local staple too. If you're lucky enough to visit during a community event or rodeo weekend, look out for open-air barbecues where whole animals are roasted over wood fires — smoky, festive, and completely unforgettable.