What to eat and drink in the Bahamas

Bahamian food blends African, European and New World traditions to create an uncomplicated, tongue-tingling island cuisine. Throw in superb local seafood, tropical produce and rum-based treats derived from centuries of Caribbean and North Atlantic sugar production, and you’ve got the ideal sustenance for exploring this emerald-green subtropical archipelago.

You’ll find a standard repertoire of dishes repeated throughout the islands, with small, distinctive touches added by both roadside vendors and chefs working beachside restaurants and high-end resorts. Freshness and unabashed flavor are the hallmarks of good Bahamian cooking, and they can be found in every corner of the country.

1. Cracked or chopped, conch is Bahamian cuisine

These muscular sea snails abound in Bahamian waters, providing the islands’ favorite source of protein. Tough and toothsome in their natural state, they take on new dimensions in the hands of skilled cooks winkling them alive from their shells.

Conch salad, a tangy tangle of conch, onion, tomato, peppers, Scotch bonnet chili, lemon, lime and orange, is always diced and tossed to order. Cracked conch – tenderized, breaded and deep-fried strips, served with hot and tartar sauces – is equally beloved.

Where to try it: Unassuming little harborside joint Stuart’s Conch Stand, in Bailey Town on North Bimini, does fresh and fabulous conch salad.

2. Boring? "Boil fish" is anything but

More exciting than it sounds, Bahamian boil fish stands or falls on the quality of its seafood. Happily, the fresh grouper and snapper that are ubiquitous around these islands find their way into this fish stew – often served for breakfast and especially popular at holidays and family celebrations.

Flapping-fresh fish is seasoned with lime, salt and pepper, then added to a broth of onions, potato and celery, flavored with garlic, thyme, cloves and Scotch bonnets. Once cooked, the boil is served with cornmeal grits or golden pan-baked Johnny cakes.

Where to try it: If you’re in luck, Queen Conch on dreamy, laidback Harbour Island will have this fish-lover’s treat on the menu.

3. Lobster lovers are spoiled for fresh catch

Lobster means luxury, and few places offer it as fresh and fantastic as the Bahamas. The spiny lobster is abundant in Caribbean and North Atlantic waters, making your chances of buying it fresh from fishing boats or finding it on menus deliciously high. Often served simply barbecued, subtly curried or sautéed with onions and peppers, it’s fished from August to March.

Where to try it: The 18th-century grandeur of Nassau’s Graycliff Hotel complements this luxury dish to perfection.

4. Start your day with a steaming cup of souse

Unglamorous souse – a stew of chicken wings or sheep tongue with onion, potato, carrots, celery and peppers, flavored with bay, garlic and cloves – is a true Bahamian staple. Nassau workers waiting for their morning jitney often grab a steaming cup of this nourishing goodness, with lime, chili and fresh bread as standard accompaniments.

Where to try it: If you venture as far as Andros, the biggest and wildest of the Bahamas, Brigadier’s – on the beach north of Andros Town – does souse right.

5. Guava duff is a Bahamian sweet sensation

The fragrant, rose-centered guava native to the Bahamas is frequently used to make this locally loved cake. Ripe fruit is steamed in a shortening-greased dough to make an airy pudding, best served with a rum- or brandy-butter sauce. While duff’s roots lie in the hearty puddings developed for the British climate, tropical fruit and rum mark this version as a perfect Bahamian adaptation.

Where to try it: Arthur’s Bakery on Harbour Island is a good bet for traditional Bahamian cakes, alongside croissants and key lime pie.

6. Hit the beach with a Bahamian brew

So many beaches, bars and beautiful Bahamian sunsets cry out for a relaxing beer. Try a crisp Kalik lager from the Commonwealth Brewery on Nassau, or for something different, a refreshing low-alcohol grapefruit radler from Bahamian Brewery on Grand Bahama.

Where to try it: Margarita Villa Sandbar, east of Lucaya on Grand Bahama, is a perfect timber-sided beach bar to enjoy a cool sundowner.

7. Slip into island life with the Bahamas’ favorite rum cocktails

Like many Caribbean and North Atlantic nations, the Bahamas has a way with rum-based drinks. Worth trying is the Bahama Mama – a glass of tropical joy comprising rum, coconut rum, fruit juices and grenadine, all over ice. The Goombay Smash, invented in Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar on Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos, blends four different rums with orange and pineapple juices and chunks of fresh fruit.

Where to try it: Unpretentious and off the beaten track, you really can’t beat the Blue Bee Bar for a lazy rum cocktail in the evening.

8. Citrusy Switcha goes down like an evening offshore breeze

Bahamian Switcher (or Switcha) is basically just freshly made lime-based "lemonade." Its point of difference is the key limes – grown locally, freshly squeezed and mixed with cane sugar and water. Take your Switcha to the next level by adding Red Turtle vodka or pale rum from John Watling’s Distillery in Nassau.

Where to try it: Rum Runners in Port Lucaya Marketplace, Grand Bahama, is a happy, bustling bar that can rustle up a Switcha with something extra in it.

9. "Sky juice" fuels every Bahamian party

The uniquely Bahamian cocktail you’re most likely to stumble across is the intriguingly named sky juice. No doubt christened for its elevating effects, it’s a sweet, celebratory concoction of gin, green coconut water, condensed milk and a scrape of nutmeg.

Where to try it: Nowhere in the Bahamas slings more sky juice in a more celebratory setting than Nassau’s nightly Fish Fry on Arawak Cay.

Vegetarians and vegans

While not an especially carnivorous cuisine, Bahamian food doesn’t focus on catering to plant-based diets. Staples such as grits (cornmeal porridge), stewed greens, bread and fresh tropical fruit and vegetables are, however, ubiquitous. Coleslaw, rice and peas and mac 'n' cheese are also never hard to find. Resorts and international-style restaurants will, of course, always cater to vegans and vegetarians.