Food of Bahamas

Bahamian cooking is rooted in the sea, with conch, grouper, snapper and spiny lobster at the center of the table. Island staples include peas 'n' rice, johnnycake, plantains and coconut, seasoned with thyme, bird pepper and lime. Meals are casual and social, from fish fries to Sunday dinners.

National dish

Cracked conch

Tenderized conch, breaded and fried.

Staples

  • conch
  • grouper
  • rice
  • pigeon peas
  • plantains
  • coconut
  • lobster
  • cassava

Signature flavors

  • thyme
  • bird pepper
  • lime
  • allspice
  • coconut
  • onion

Main dishes

Cracked conch

Tenderized conch, breaded and fried.

Key ingredients: conch, flour, lime
Conch salad

Raw conch with lime, onion and peppers.

Key ingredients: conch, lime, onion, pepper
Grouper fingers
Grouper fingers

Fried strips of grouper.

Key ingredients: grouper, flour
Peas 'n' rice
Peas 'n' rice

Pigeon peas and rice with thyme and tomato.

Key ingredients: rice, pigeon peas, thyme
Stew fish

Fish stewed in a rich gravy.

Key ingredients: fish, onion, tomato
Boil fish

Fish boiled with potato and lime for breakfast.

Key ingredients: fish, potato, lime, onion
Baked macaroni
Baked macaroni

Baked macaroni and cheese Bahamian style.

Key ingredients: macaroni, cheese, eggsFull guide →
Souse

Light stew of meat in lime broth.

Key ingredients: chicken, lime, onion
Lobster tail

Grilled or fried spiny lobster.

Key ingredients: lobster, butter

Breakfast

Johnnycake
Johnnycake

Sweet dense bread.

Key ingredients: flour, butter, sugar
Boiled fish and grits

Savory fish with grits.

Key ingredients: fish, grits

Street food

Conch fritters
Conch fritters

Crispy fried conch bites.

Key ingredients: conch, flour
Fish fry

Casual seaside fried fish.

Key ingredients: fish, plantain

Desserts and sweets

Guava duff
Guava duff

Boiled pastry rolled with guava, served with sauce.

Key ingredients: guava, flour
Coconut tart

Sweet coconut pastry.

Key ingredients: coconut, sugar
Bahamian fruit cake

Rich fruit cake.

Key ingredients: flour, butter, fruit

Drinks

Switcha
Switcha

Limeade made with Bahamian limes.

Key ingredients: limes, sugar
Ginger soda

Fresh, spicy ginger drink.

Key ingredients: ginger, sugar
Coconut water
Coconut water

Straight from the nut.

Key ingredients: coconut

Fruits and produce

Sapodilla
Sapodilla

Sweet brown fruit.

Pineapple
Pineapple

Eleuthera pineapples are famous.

Guava
Guava

For duff and jams.

Full guide →
Coconut
Coconut

Water, milk and sweets.

Dish guides from Bahamas

Guava
GuavaFruits
Macaroni and cheese
Macaroni and cheeseMain dishes
Explore Bahamas on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Caribbean

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Baltimore Aquarium - Mycteroperca microlepis - 05: Jarek Tuszyński, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Rice and Peas: File:Rice and Peas.png: Whispyhistory conversion to jpg: Hike395, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Original Mac n Cheese : Texasfoodgawker, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Johnnycakes: Douglas Perkins, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas): Daniel Neal from Sacramento, CA, US, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Guava duff: LittleT889, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Limeade: Michael Fludkov, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Young Coconut Drink: Shameelnurani313, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • സപ്പോട്ട: Sugeesh at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Guava pink fruit: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cocos nucifera - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-187: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)