If you travel by “following your stomach,” as I do then you are definitely in for a treat when you visit the Bahamas. After all, there’s more than sand, sun and Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. Travel with TripAtlas.com as we take you to discover the best local foods and specialty dishes in the Bahamas. Want to learn more about the Bahamas?
How to Eat Like a Local in the Bahamas
In the Bahamas, it’s all about conch (pronounced “konk”). The Arawak natives of the Caribbean and Haiti have eaten conch for hundreds of years and their tradition continues today. Taken from the spiral mollusk shell of a conch, the meat of conch is often compared to clams, mussels, or snails and can be prepared or eaten raw and cooked. From conch fritters to conch salad, conch burgers to conch gumbo and conch chowder, there’s no lack of conch-themed foods in the Bahamas
1. Conch Fritters or “Cracked Conch”
Conch fritters or cracked conch, sometimes known by tourists as “savoury donuts,” are by far one of the tastiest and best local dishes of the Bahamas. The meat is taken from the conch shell, pounded and marinated with lime juice for tenderization, battered and then deep-fried. Each delicious bite is a taste of fried conch heaven. You’ll find conch fritters as appetizers in almost every restaurant in the Bahamas serving Bahamian-style food and even in some restaurants located in southern Florida.
2. Conch Salad
Another popular conch dish is conch salad. The raw conch meat is diced with tomato, onion, celery, cucumber, and green pepper. This mixture is stirred-in with a blend of acidic and flavor-enhancing juices, often a “secret recipe” of each restaurant, but usually made up of limejuice, vinegar, and hot sauce. This is a great dish since it’s refreshing, healthy, and a true exotic Bahamian taste.
3. Conch Chowder
If you’re thinking creamy New England clam chowder, think again. Conch chowder is more like Manhattan clam chowder: a tomato-based soup made up of fresh vegetables, potatoes, onion, celery, carrots and of course—conch. Served hot, conch chowder is a classic Bahamian dish and in essence, the Bahamian version of Chicken Noodle Soup.
4. Kalik Beer
Kalik beer (pronounced “ka-lick”) is the beer of the Bahamas and for many locals, it supports and reflects Bahamian culture and history Produced in the Bahamas, the Kalik beer factory brews 1.7+ million cases of 24’s per year with more than 50 percent being consumed in the Bahamas. A light and smooth beer, there’s nothing better than a Kalik when you’re lying on the beach or sitting at the patio under the bright Bahamian sun.
Kalik beer was named after the sound of a cowbell (“ka-lick”), a special instrument used in Junkanoo, an annual parade that has been taking place in the Bahamas for over 200 years. Historically, December 26 was the only “day off” that slaves would get from their masters. On this day, the slaves would come together and celebrate with dancing, music, costumes - and cowbells. The celebration became Junkanoo and it is celebrated today throughout the Bahamas. It’s no wonder Kalik is considered a truly Bahamian beer.
5. Local Seafood & Fish served with Peas ’n Rice
When you’re in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, there’s nothing like fresh seafood and fish. Specialties in the Bahamas include rock lobster, snapper, mahi mahi, bonefish, and grouper. From high-end restaurants to relaxed street-side vendors, there are hundreds of different ways to prepare seafood and fish in the Bahamas. Boiled with grits, roasted, broiled, grilled, on an open fire, in the oven, battered, encrusted, fried, deep-fried—the list goes on. Of course, it’s always served with a hearty helping of peas ’n rice.
6. “Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum”
Just like Kalik, there is no shortage of rum in the Bahamas. With a multitude of local rum distilleries, there’s a long history of rum-making in the Bahamas. When the United States was under Prohibition after the Civil War, the Bahamas became an important conduit for contrabands like whiskey, rum and gin. Large ships would carry alcohol to the Bahamas where it would be off-loaded into smaller ships or stored in warehouses near the shore (a strip that became known as “rum row”) to be smuggled into the United States.
