Seafood
is the staple of the Bahamian diet. Conch (pronounced "konk")
is a large type of ocean mollusc that has firm, white, peach-fringed
meat. Fresh, uncooked conch is delicious; the conch meat is scored
with a knife, and lime juice and spices are sprinkled over the meat.
It can also be deep-fried (called "cracked conch"), steamed,
added to soups, salads and stews or made into conch chowder and conch
fritters. The Bahamian "rock lobster" is a spiny
variety without claws that is served broiled, minced or used
in salads. Other delicacies include boiled or baked land crabs,
which can be seen, before they are cooked, running across the
roads after dark.
Fresh
fish also plays a major role in the cooking of The Islands Of
The Bahamas -- a popular brunch is boiled fish served with grits,
and when done right, is often the most flavourful way to enjoy
the taste of a fresh catch. Stew
fish, made with celery, onions, tomatoes and various spices,
is another local specialty. Many dishes are accompanied by pigeon
peas and rice (the infamous peas 'n' rice served throughout the
Caribbean), with spices, tomatoes and onions.
The cuisine of The Islands Of The Bahamas is never, ever bland.
Spicy, subtly and uniquely flavored with local meats and produce,
more than any other cuisine in the West Indies, Bahamian cooking
has been influenced by the American South. One very popular example
of this influence is the "fish
'n' grits" mentioned above.
Both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks are a highly
developed specialty in The Islands Of The Bahamas; bars pride
themselves on their own special concoctions of rum punch. Kalik,
the beer of The Islands Of The Bahamas, is unusually light and
wheaty, served well-chilled to wash down the day's heat. The
Bahamian refresher of choice is coconut water (not the heavier,
fattier coconut milk) blended with sweet milk and gin. There
is also a drink called Switcher, made with native limes; those
who have had it swear that it tastes better than any other citrus
drink.
