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Papua New GuineaFlavors · Bermuda
Fish soup with tomato, potato, onion, carrot, bell pepper and celery, seasoned and slowly cooked. It is considered Bermuda’s national dish, and at the table each person adds dark rum and sherry-pepper sauce.
Traditional dish from Bermuda
Also known as: Bermuda fish chowder, Bermudian fish chowder
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Fish chowder — Bermuda
Fish chowder is the soup Bermudians regard as their national dish. The islands’ official tourism description presents it as Bermuda’s quintessential dish: an aromatic mix of fish and seasonings that typically includes potato, tomato, onion, carrot, green bell pepper and celery. Every family and kitchen has its own recipe, but the result is always a dark, full-bodied, well‑seasoned broth served very hot.
Despite the name, Bermuda’s chowder differs from the creamy versions of the northeastern coast of North America. It contains no milk or cream: the base is a fish broth with tomato, giving it a lighter texture. Travel guides often compare it to a gumbo because of its strong seasoning and color.
What distinguishes Bermuda fish chowder is the finishing touch. At the table, beside the bowl, are bottles of dark rum and sherry peppers, peppers pickled in sherry with herbs and spices. Each person adds a few drops of one or the other to adjust the soup’s heat and aroma. The two bottles are part of the service both at home and in restaurants.
The fish used varies with the catch and the recipe, generally white‑fleshed fish from the waters around the islands.
Fish chowder appears on menus in restaurants and hotels and on family tables. It is commonly served as a starter.
Bermuda
Considered Bermuda’s national dish, prepared in homes and restaurants across all parishes.
White‑fleshed fish and fish broth, tomato, potato, onion, carrot, green bell pepper, celery and seasonings; at the table, dark rum and sherry‑peppers (peppers pickled in sherry).
In a bowl, very hot, as a starter or light meal. Each person adds a few drops of dark rum and sherry peppers to taste.
All year round, at home, in restaurants and hotels.
Your questions
It is a fish soup with tomato, potato, onion, carrot, bell pepper and celery, well seasoned and without cream. It is considered Bermuda’s national dish.
It’s the islands’ custom: at the table, each person adds a few drops of dark rum and sherry peppers, peppers pickled in sherry, to adjust the soup’s aroma and heat.
No. The base is a fish broth with tomato, so it is lighter and darker than the creamy chowders of North America.
Flavors of Bermuda
The Bermudian Christmas pie: a dense dough made from grated cassava with butter, eggs, sugar and spices, baked slowly with a filling of chicken, pork or both. Sweet and savory at the same time, it is eaten hot or cold during the holidays.
The traditional Sunday breakfast in Bermuda: salted cod cooked, potatoes, onion, banana, a boiled egg and avocado on the same plate, with tomato sauce or melted butter with onion on top.
Codfish cakes made with mashed potato, onion and herbs, fried until golden. They are eaten year-round, and on Good Friday they’re served inside hot cross buns, the sweet spiced rolls marked with a cross, while kites fill the islands’ skies.
Dark rum poured over ginger beer with ice in a tall glass, garnished with a slice of lime. The rum floats on top as a dark cloud, which gives the drink its name. Called the national drink of Bermuda, it is a trademark of the Gosling family, who require their Black Seal rum in the recipe.
Fried seasoned fish fillets with tartar sauce, served between raisin bread slices. If ordered “the works,” it comes with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, cheese, hot sauce and coleslaw. Served across the island at kiosks and restaurants.
Cocktail of dark and gold rum with orange and pineapple juices, lime, falernum and bitters, shaken in a pitcher until foamy, coral in color.
