Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – A-Z…World Cuisine… Part 9 – The Bahamas – Souse and Peas n’ Rice by Carol Taylor

Welcome to the rerun of my A-Z …World Cuisines…where I will be looking at the countries of the world, their food and national dish or their most popular dish around the world…by this I mean some dishes are eaten in many countries as their fame has spread around the world…

Today I am looking at the cuisine of the Bahamas…

The Bahamas is a country in the northwestern West Indies, located 80 km (50 mi) south-east of the coast of Florida (USA) and north of Cuba.

The Bahamas achieved independence from Britain on July 10, 1973, and is now a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth and a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of American States.

The Bahamas’ coat of arms is a composition of things indigenous to these islands, while the motto “Forward Upward Onward Together” heralds the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move. The crest of the arms, a light pink conch shell, symbolises the marine life of The Bahamas.

Traditional Bahamian food has been influenced by a diverse mix of cultures and histories. The islands’ cuisine has embraced herbs, spices, ingredients, techniques, and styles from West Africa, American Indians, Central America, and beyond. However, they still embrace the islands’ native plant species that provide all Bahamian dishes with that unique flair and flavour…famed for its beautiful seafood and what a variety there is like Conch, Lobster, Crab, fish and other shellfish …

For me, the Bahamas invoke beautiful beaches, happy, smiling faces, wonderful seafood, lots of colours… a joyful place…

The Bahamas stretches for 760 miles from the coast of Florida in the northwest to almost Haiti in the southeast. The archipelago consists of about 2,400 Cays (coral reefs) and 700 islands, 30 of which are inhabited…Wow…I would love to go island hopping there…something for everyone…there is so much to discover …arts and culture wise…

Sadly nearly all of the country’s foodstuffs are imported, largely from the United States. However, the sunny climate favours the cultivation of many fruits, including tomato, pineapple, banana, mango, guava, sapodilla (the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree), soursop, grapefruit, and sea grape. Some pigs, sheep, and cattle are raised. The small fishing industry’s catch is dominated by spiny lobster, grouper, and conch…

You will often find wild boar on the menu…often hunted with dogs rather than guns…Your taste buds will come alive with Bahamian foods. Dishes are a fusion of the cultures of West Africa, Europe, America, and the indigenous people adding flair…among locals, there is still nose to tail eating with wild pig/boar being roasted whole or grilled boar ribs, sauteed livers, boar soup…chicken or sheep tongue, chickens feet…

Peas n’ rice is a staple of every Bahamian household, especially for Sunday dinner. It began in the nineteenth century when Bahamians were heavily reliant on what they grew themselves, and pea plants were the most abundant.

This is one of the most delectable dishes you’ll find as it is chock full of savoury delicacies. It is served with meat or fish, along with, macaroni, fried plantain, or coleslaw.

Souse (pronounced sowse) is typically a breakfast dish and can be paired with Johnny bread/cake or a side of grits.

Conch comes every which way…and is a popular street food as well…

Peas Soup and Dumpling…is a popular dish…a melting pot of West African and European traditions. Its European link is “pease pudding” and dumplings, and the West African link is the practice of cooking with pigeon peas.

My mother always served pease pudding with boiled ham…Pidgeon peas I had to look up…they are the edible seeds of the pigeon pea plant…a type of lentil, pea or seed…

What’s for dessert? …

Coconut cakes, coconut tarts, coconut balls and guava duffs are popular, Benny Cakes was a new one on me they are typically consumed during the Christmas period …Benny refers to (sesame) seeds that are heated until brown and brought to a boil with sugar and salt. It is then dropped into circles and allowed to cool and harden.

As much of the world’s best rum is produced in the Caribbean, it’s no surprise that the spirit takes the spotlight in many recipes.

Rum Cake...Dense and buttery, rum cake is made with traditional baking ingredients like flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, unsalted butter, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs. Once the bundt cake cools, a flavorful thick butter rum sauce is drizzled over the cake…perfect for any occasion.

The official rum cake of the Bahamas comes from Nassau’s Bahamas Rum Cake Factory, which uses a signature Ole Nassau Bahamian Rum…

Now for a cocktail of which there are many…

That’s all for today’s look at the Bahamas…I do hope you have enjoyed this culinary tour…as always I look forward to your comments…x

About Carol Taylor

Carol Taylor now lives in Thailand having been brought up in England and has built a dedicated following of her blog and guest posts where she creates not only amazing dishes, but sources fantastic ingredients in line with her philosophy of sustainable food ‘cooked from scratch’. Having travelled extensively Carol has incorporated the cuisines of many different cultures into her recipes, and shares her research into the backgrounds to both the traditional cultures and the origins of the ingredients.

She loves shopping at local markets and wherever she is, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetables she has never seen or cooked with.

Health and the environment are key priorities, particularly the concern about our oceans and fisheries. Also, how many of our foods on the shelves of our supermarkets are ultra processed and contain additives that do not add to the nutritional value and are not healthy. She is an advocate about growing our own food where or when we can even it it is only a few pots or a window box of herbs.

She wishes everyone would count chemicals and not calories as they would be much healthier…it’s true ‘we are what we eat‘ and while a cake or a bar of chocolate does no harm on occasions, sticking to a fresh food, balanced diet will keep our bodies healthy as we age…

A Homemade Christmas is the first in a series of cookbooks to come.

Head over to buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – For reviews: Goodreads – Connect to Carol – Blog:Carol Cooks 2 – Twitter: @CarolCooksTwo – Facebook:Carol Taylor

 

My thanks to Carol for permitting me to share this wonderful series on Smorgasbord and I look forward to adding her new cookbooks as they become available… I can highly recommend A Homemade Christmas Sally.