Bermuda Cuisine

Shark hash, made of minced shark meat sautéed with spices, may not sound too appetizing, but it's a popular Bermudian appetizer, usually served on toast.

Bermudians love codfish cakes made of salted cod mashed with cooked potatoes and fresh thyme and parsley, and then shaped into patties and panfried. They taste great topped with a zesty fruit salsa and a side of mesclun salad or—a Bermudian favorite—served on a hot cross bun with cheese.

The island's traditional weekend brunch is a huge plate of boiled or steamed salt cod with boiled potatoes, onions, and sliced bananas, all topped with a hard-boiled egg or tomato sauce and, sometimes, avocado slices.

Cassava pie—a savory blend of cassava, eggs, sugar, and either pork or chicken—is a rich, flavorful dish (formerly reserved for Christmas dinner) often offered as a special side. It's served with a healthy dollop of chowchow (pickles in mustard sauce). More common is mussel pie, made of shelled mussels, potatoes, and onions, and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and curry. The dish is loaded into a flaky, sweet crust and baked.

As for Bermudian desserts, bananas baked in rum and brown sugar are to die for, and loquat or banana crumble is sweet and rich.