Chillin' Out

     It's always nice to chill out a bit in the dreary mid-winter months.  I went with a culinary companion in search of new food vistas where it is supposed to be warm and sunny.  I say supposed because our trip to the Republic of the Bahamas was anything but that.  While all the travel information would have you believe the February/March average high is near 80 degrees we had the distinction of being there for the coldest weather of the year with an extraordinary low of 43 degrees and a damp and windy high barely in the 60's.



     But all was not lost and I did enjoy one amazing walking cultural and culinary tour of Nassau, the country's capital.  In 3 hours Alanna Rodgers, the tour's founder and guide (Tru Bahamian Food Tours) provided us with an incredible wealth of information.  Not only did she take us to 7 different culinary venues, but also outlined the history, culture, and social mores of the island nation.

     I learned more in those 3 hours than I could have researched in 3 weeks of independent study.  Did you know that there are over 700 islands that cover 180,000 square miles of ocean space stretching from the southeast coast of Florida to the northwest coast of Hispaniola?  And the GDP of the Bahamas ranks 3rd in the Western Hemisphere, behind only the US and Canada.  The literacy rate is an impressive 98%.

     But back to the food...It's not only about the conch, a popular ingredient in things like salads, fritters and chowder.  There is so much more that the many ethnic groups brought with them as they settled there.  Oh, and by the way, the Republic of the Bahamas is one of the few nations on earth that is populated entirely by immigrants.  The native Arawak Indians, known as the Lucayans, were totally annihilated by disease after the Europeans arrived following Christopher Columbus' "discovery" of what he called San Salvador.

     So, chilly weather aside, I am eager to share with you in the next several reports some of the things that make the Bahamas unique.  And if I ever need to find employment there I could always work at this place, provided I can multi-task: