What makes every trip away from home interesting is that you get to try new cuisines. The Caribbean, known for its stunning beaches is also home to some delectable food that will surely satisfy your taste buds. The Bahamas, one of the best destinations in the Caribbean is no exception – their food is a combination of daring, delicious and diverse that will surely keep you coming back for more.
The Bahamas take pride in its great tradition of local cuisines that feature conch, rock lobster, and guava among other ingredients. Bahamian cuisine is inspired by the cooking style of South American dishes, evident through the seasoning they use in cooking and the side dishes they serve with their food.
If unique food is something on your bucket list when in the Caribbean, skip the resort food and try these traditional Bahamian dishes instead.
8 Conch Salad
A dish that you cannot miss trying when in the Bahamas is the conch. Conch salad is the perfect appetizer for health-conscious individuals as well as the curious ones. It is a combination of different, interesting, and healthy, as you can find the unique diced conch meat, topped with chopped onions, tomatoes, red and green peppers, plus salt and pepper to taste.
All of these colorful ingredients are then tossed in a dressing made of orange juice, lemon, and lime, using their citrus juices to somehow cook the conch meat. It favors being a bit undercooked, and with local peppers in the mix, tends to taste a bit spicy.
7 Bahamian Crawfish
We all know lobsters can at times put a hole in your pocket, especially when you are on vacation. A great alternative for lobster lovers who are in the Bahamas is the Bahamian crawfish.
Otherwise known as small “Caribbean lobsters,” they are cooked and presented in many different ways. But, in the Bahamas, crawfish are often broiled or chopped and tossed into salads. This versatile Bahamian food can be ordered for starters paired with sumptuous local side dishes or it could be the main dish in your meal.
6 Lionfish
Stories circulating about Lionfish say that when hurricane Andrew hit in 1992 and the aquarium was filled and flooded, releasing these marine creatures into the Bahamas. Truth is, they have been swimming in the Caribbean waters since 1985, increasing in population year after year.
Since Lionfish do not have natural predators, they tend to destroy marine life in the islands, which became a concern for the locals. In efforts to reduce the Lionfish population in the Bahamas, people started including them in their menus and local chefs are figuring out ways to prepare the fish.
Before it is cooked, the fish is deboned until all that is left is that white, juicy, and buttery meat that the locals and vacationers are starting to love.
5 Bahamian Boiled Fish
One popular dish that you should try is the Bahamian boiled fish. This cuisine sells like hotcakes during the Holiday Season but is also available for tourists all year. Sometimes the locals can be creative and use different fishes for their boiled specialty but the main criteria to meet is that the meat should be white and flaky.
Often cooked with potatoes and spices, the Bahamian boiled fish goes best with Johnnycakes or buttered grits, and it is best enjoyed while hot and the night is cold.
4 Chicken Souse
Chicken souse is famous to locals and visitors alike. This unique Bahamian dish is served with an abundance of vegetables including celery, carrots, bell peppers, lime juice, and onions among others.
The meat to try for first-timers would be chicken, but for the adventurous ones, pig’s feet, sheep’s tongue, or oxtail are available options.
3 Baked Crabs
Best served when hot, these Bahamian baked crabs are worthy of seconds, even thirds. Yes, the name of the dish sure is simple, but what makes it stand out compared to other baked crabs in the world is the combination of ingredients stuffed into the meat to achieve that Bahamian twist.
This mouthwatering dish is first baked with the meat still intact in the shell. It is then removed and tossed with bread crumbs and Bahamian seasonings. The crab meat is then stuffed back into the shell and served. If you find the dish a little spicy, you can always ask the chef to make it with a milder mix.
2 Bahamian Hot Patties
Patties are one of the favorites in the Caribbean for locals and vacationers. Bahamian patties are particularly famous for meat lovers and vegans, with the former incorporating minced beef, vegetables, and spices in the mix and the latter made vegetarian style.
The spiciness of the snack is tolerable and can be brought as a tummy filler, especially when multitasking between visiting tourist attractions and eating.
1 Bahamian Peas n’ Rice
The Bahamian peas n’ rice is unique in the Caribbean due to its main ingredient, pigeon peas. Different preparations are used for pigeon peas and rice, and then they are then combined with minced vegetables, fresh stock, spices and may come with bacon or salted pork if you are lucky.
Whether you order soup, fried fish, or baked seafood, peas n’ rice is a perfect side dish for almost all Bahamian dishes. It is also considered a local staple food on the island, is very delicious, and not that very hard to find.