I spent a month last year in the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, never heard of it? It is a long thin and somewhat unpopulated island on the far eastern side of the Bahamas. I have to say that one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip was the Bahamian food, of course I love that about every place I visit! I love trying out all the local dishes and the Bahamas was no exception.

Food is probably not the first thing you think about when you think about the Bahamas with all the beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise and azure water. If you don't allow yourself the indulgence of as much Bahamian food as you can experience you will regret it later.

The cuisine gets the attention it deserves at the local island restaurants showing a diversity that is unexpected with many international styles mixed in. The exact native food that you experience will even vary from island to island and also depend upon the species of fish being served. As one might imagine a great many of their dishes are seafood based with the abundance of water the islands all share.

Get ready to experience food choices and tastes you have never had because in the Bahamas the chefs enjoy being unique and distinctive.

One of the foods that you will probably not experience anywhere else on so large a scale is the meat from the Conch. This is the favored food of native Bahamians and is used in just about every possible dish you can imagine. When I was living there last summer I had conch salad, conch fritters, conch chowder and even conch burgers! One of my favorites though was raw conch with lime juice, hot peppers, and fresh tomato and onions. But beware, when I say hot peppers, I mean hot! Being of Cajun descent I was raised on hot food and not even the peppers in Mexico are as hot as these!

Another popular dish among the locals especially is fish and grits. The fish is cooked with salted pork, peppers, and onions and served with grits as a breakfast fare. I got quite used to having it every morning.

You have to try the local variation of fish chowder on whatever island you stay as well. Although the exact recipe may differ slightly it is usually made with fresh grouper, which are abundant there, tomatoes, lime juice, and dark rum, absolutely delicious.

Don't be afraid to try these and the many other fine local foods offered if you get the opportunity to travel to the Bahamas.