BERMUDA THE BEAUTIFUL

The unique blend of ingredients and techniques that create Bermudian-style food is something to fall in love with. It’s diverse and delightful with tasty island specialties that include seafood like rockfish and sweet indulgent rum cake. Fish in particular is a major part of the meals here. Don’t miss out on a chance to have fish chowder, which you’ll want to taste everywhere you go. It usually has sherry peppers which are ripened, ultra-hot bird peppers that have soaked in sherry with herbs and spices plus black rum which is made so by molasses and a special aging process in barrels. Truly this chowder is out of this world.

 

The fish that are native here, called Bermuda fish, are mahi, tuna, rockfish, white fish, and wahoo. They’re often cut into steak-like slabs and grilled. You’ll also find fish here pan-fried and topped with almonds and a fried banana. If you’re in Bermuda from September through March, make sure to try Bermuda spiny lobster, which is roughly the size of a typical Maine lobster. It’s divine!

 

One thing that’s popular to start meals with is shark hash. It’s minced shark meat that is sautéed up with spices and served atop toast. Codfish cakes, salted cod that is mashed up with cooked potatoes and fresh herbs like thyme and parsley, are much like crab cakes. These are shaped into patties and pan-fried. Often, they come with fruit salsa and a side of mesclun salad, though traditionally, they were stuffed into a bun and covered with mayonnaise. You can try them either way.

 

Did someone say brunch? The traditional weekend brunch on the island is the stuff dreams are made of with a plate of cod that’s either boiled or steamed along with potatoes, onions, and slices of bananas. It’s topped with a hardboiled egg, tomato sauce, or avocado slices. On South Shore Road in Paget, the Paraquet is a great place to get this kind of a meal as is Paw-Paws in Warwick.

 

Try cassava pie too while you’re at it. It’s a savory treat with cassava, eggs, sugar and some form of meat like pork or chicken. It’s rich and delicious, and traditionally was only served for Christmas dinner. Today though, restaurant often serve it as a side dish. Most common though is mussel pie, which consists of mussels, potatoes and onions, seasoned with thyme, parsley and curry, then baked.

 

Tea time is alive and well in Bermuda too. Afternoon tea is simply a must with all the cakes, pastries and cookies. This long-standing tradition is something you mustn’t miss out on. Several of the restaurants and cafes offer an afternoon tea service.

 

For vegetarians, there isn’t a big selection on the menus, but you’ll find that most restaurants offer several meatless dishes. Chefs are sometimes happy to create a vegetarian dish on the fly with fresh vegetables from their kitchen to satisfy non-meat-eaters.

 

Desserts are indulgently wonderful with bananas baked in rum and brown sugar. Another one to try is loquat or banana crumble. You can also keep things simple with fresh strawberries and cherries when they’re in season.