The Bahamas: Just the name of these islands conjures a vacation-ready vibe. White sand, palm trees, umbrella cocktails, turquoise water everywhere you look—the whole nine yards. But what about food? The average visitor would be hard-pressed, we’d venture, to name even one Bahamian dish (Bahama mama cocktails don’t count!). And yet, like elsewhere in the Caribbean, there’s a wealth of traditional food to explore here, from the locally beloved, African-descended peas-and-rice to the ubiquitous conch in its many iterations and curry chicken, a legacy of 325 years of British rule (independence was achieved in 1973). True, you’ll find only a handful of these foods at your resort, so this is just another reason to explore outside those walls (another one: more beaches). Take a jitney, take this guide, and take a chance on meeting a Bahamas you’ve never seen—or tasted—before.