Souse

Souse is a clear broth, not a stew: meat is boiled with onion, celery, potato, allspice and a great deal of lime juice and hot pepper, and the result is thin, sharp and hot rather than rich. Chicken souse is the everyday version; sheep tongue is the one Bahamians will tell you is the real thing, and pig's foot souse is the third. It is breakfast food, particularly on a Saturday morning, and it comes with johnny cake, a dense slightly sweet pan bread, to soak it up. It also has a reputation as the standard cure after a heavy night, which is a large part of why it is a Saturday dish.

What you actually see

• Chicken souse - the everyday version, sharp with lime.
• Sheep tongue souse - the version regarded as the real thing.
• Johnny cake - the dense pan bread served with it.
• Saturday morning - when the souse counters are busiest.

When to go

Year-round, at breakfast, and Saturday morning above all. Cook shops and breakfast counters serve it from early and it is gone by mid-morning. Fish fry stalls do it at weekends.

Honest expectations

It is sharper and hotter than most visitors expect and the lime is not subtle. Sheep tongue and pig's foot are the traditional versions and both take some getting used to; ask what is in the pot if that matters. It is thin, so anyone expecting a hearty stew will be surprised. There is no vegetarian version in the tradition.

Nearby

Nassau's breakfast counters and every family island cook shop.