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00:08Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas,
00:10brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
00:19The best way to experience the true flavor of a place
00:22is through its food.
00:24So I'm off on my culinary travels again.
00:30I'm looking for dishes with a story to tell.
00:33It's an aphrodisiac.
00:38Traditions passed down through generations.
00:44And the freshest and ziniest of ingredients from land and sea.
00:49So here I am in the Bahamas,
00:51exploring islands of white sands, turquoise seas
00:55and food that is as vibrant as its people.
00:59From hidden beach shacks and fish fries.
01:02Ooh, a little bit of sesame.
01:05To fine dining with a Caribbean twist.
01:08It's out in this world.
01:09Scoop it off.
01:10Mmm.
01:11This is the last bottle known to man.
01:14Wow.
01:15I'm diving headfirst into the flavors, the colors,
01:20and the rhythms of island life.
01:22So come on, grab a plate, loosen that belt,
01:26and join me in my quest as I search for a lick a bit of island zest.
01:31Welcome to the Taste of the Bahamas.
01:34Yeah.
01:42The Bahamas is a chain of hundreds of islands and coral shallows
01:46in the warm Atlantic Ocean.
01:49Just a short hop from Florida.
01:51And right at the heart of it all, our Nassau and Paradise Island,
01:55my Bahamian base.
01:57Today, I'll be picking and preparing the freshest of island ingredients.
02:02So lovely, so natural, so easy.
02:05And so fresh.
02:06I'll be seeing how the environment here helps to keep
02:09sustainable seafood on the menu.
02:12Mangroves are breeding grounds, and they help to protect
02:15the small baby fish from large predators.
02:17And I'll be sizzling up a sensational snapper in my seaside
02:22kitchen.
02:23It's crispy, it's fleaversome, and it's for you.
02:28But first, I'm heading inland to a place where fish are playing
02:32a key role in a rapidly growing business.
02:36When you leave Nassau and you head out into the countryside,
02:39you don't see that many fields of crops.
02:42That's because this island is made of limestone.
02:44In fact, sitting gross like this is quite unusual.
02:48But, with a little bit of science and a touch of bohemian
02:53creativity, this farm has found a solution.
02:58When Australian Tom Stack came to the Bahamas,
03:01he fell in love with the place and even married a local chef.
03:05Today, he's the brains behind Bluefields, a farm that's
03:08growing fresh produce all year round without planting
03:11anything in the ground.
03:15Tom, what is going on here?
03:17Ainslie.
03:18This is our nutrient factory here.
03:20This is tilapia, and by feeding the fish,
03:23this is where we develop our nutrients.
03:25How, Tom, does a tank full of fish make
03:28up for a lack of decent soil?
03:29What we're using the fish for is we're using their fish waste.
03:32We're breaking it down into a natural fertilizer
03:34and using that as our nitrate, essentially,
03:36to grow our plants.
03:37We grow everything in water.
03:38That takes the soil out of our problem,
03:40and we have a lot more control over the crop we're growing.
03:42But the basis of it has always been the fish.
03:44OK, that's it.
03:46How many tanks do you actually have here, then, Tom?
03:48We have 14 in total that supply our nitrate for the system.
03:51Wow.
03:52I think there's a lot more for me to see, too, isn't there?
03:54We will.
03:54OK.
03:57Tom and his team pack a whole lot of produce
03:59into five little acres.
04:01There's a 50,000-square-foot set-up here,
04:04turning out almost two tonnes of fresh food every single week.
04:09Well, what's happening here, then, Tom?
04:11So, this is basically my happy place.
04:13OK.
04:14Come and take a look.
04:16Ooh.
04:20Well, there's so much going on here, even a test run of cucumbers,
04:24just to see if they'll grow well enough
04:27to make the whole thing worthwhile.
04:28They're not quite to size yet, but in seven days,
04:32they'll be a saleable product.
04:36It's as if the crops are growing right before your eyes,
04:39from Stevie seed to Sally salad, in just a few short weeks.
04:44Talk me through the process here, please.
04:46So, here we have our baby leaf production,
04:48and what we have is various stages of the growth.
04:51This is a 25-day crop, and right now, the guys,
04:55as you can see, are transplanting.
04:56We've harvested already today, and they're getting ready,
04:59put in a fresh batch now on the far side over here.
05:01They're moving the crop across, they're removing rafts,
05:04and they're putting in fresh germinated seeds
05:06that are in these rafts that are going in now.
05:09It's like a puzzle.
05:10It's almost like you're in a train station.
05:11One goes in, the other one comes out.
05:13It's amazing.
05:14What about the chefs who are dealing with this?
05:16If they come and say to you, this is what I'm looking for, Tom,
05:19what tends to happen is they'll come down, they'll see us,
05:21they'll talk about probably a flavour,
05:23they'll talk about a colour that they want,
05:25and then we try and work with them and develop something.
05:27And I love to eat, so it's really nice to go out and enjoy.
05:30Who does the cooking then, Tom?
05:31My wife.
05:32Does she tell you what to grow?
05:33She definitely tells me what to grow.
05:36And you grow it?
05:37Yeah, exactly.
05:40It's just brilliant seeing all this up close.
05:43And I've just got to have a go at Tom's massive game,
05:46the 3D Tetris.
05:48No fish are going to jump up on me, are they?
05:50You will be safe over here.
05:51Are you sure?
05:52We don't want any fish over here.
05:54And every day this has got to happen, has it, Tom?
05:57Every single day.
06:00Not bad, huh?
06:02Not bad.
06:03That's brilliant.
06:04The colour is absolutely perfect,
06:06and it's got a nice little crunch to it too.
06:08Absolutely.
06:09You must be very proud of what you're doing.
06:10I certainly am.
06:12It's been a real adventure.
06:13This is really fantastic.
06:15Yeah, come on, let's finish this off.
06:17I have a feeling that Tom's just at the start of his big adventure here,
06:21solving the puzzle of greying fresh fruit and vegetable on an island made of limestone.
06:27Well, Tom, that's the puzzle completed.
06:31Thank you so much.
06:33Hydroponics might be the way forward for farming here,
06:36but across the island there are plenty of people still doing things the old-fashioned way.
06:42Working the land, trusting the weather, and growing the food they love.
06:47The tastiest dishes often start with the freshest ingredients,
06:52and you can't get fresher than straight from the farm to the plate.
06:57I'm teaming up with a lady today who's promised me that I'm going to get fresh, really fresh.
07:05So, I'm wending and wiggling my way to a place called Chick Charney Farms,
07:11where I'm going to meet local grower, Shivara Roka-Anise.
07:14She picks organic fruit and vegetables each day
07:17and stops her shop with whatever's ripe and ready.
07:20So, we're grabbing a few ingredients here before heading out to see where it all grows.
07:26Shivara!
07:27Hey!
07:28How are you doing?
07:29How are you doing?
07:29How are you doing?
07:30How are you doing?
07:30I'm really good, actually.
07:31You're just doing a little bit of a stacking of the shelves and stuff?
07:34Well, restocking, we've had a very busy week.
07:36Okay.
07:36So, before we head over to the farm, let's just see what we can find here.
07:39Okay.
07:39So, we'll start with...
07:41...pasha roots.
07:42Wow.
07:42The more wither they are, the better they are, the sweeter they are.
07:46The sweeter.
07:46So, if they're aged, they're much sweeter.
07:48It's the same with human beings.
07:50As I get a little bit older, you get sweeter as you get a little bit more wrinkly.
07:54I guess you could use that.
08:00I'll grab some of these extra sweet passion fruits.
08:03Extra wrinkly.
08:04Extra wrinkly.
08:06What are you saying to me?
08:08We're also grabbing a jar of smooth local honey.
08:12Okay.
08:13So, in this one, you'll find a lot of pine flavours, a lot of very bold and island flavours in
08:17this one.
08:18Wow.
08:18So, we've got wrinkly passion fruit and we've got sweet, dark honey.
08:22Wow.
08:23Come on, girl.
08:24Let's go.
08:26Just a short drive down the road is Shivara's organic garden, a place she's completely transformed through sheer hard work.
08:35So, what was it actually like when you got here?
08:38So, there was absolutely nothing here.
08:39This location was simply a blank canvas, so we got to create everything we wanted to see in this space.
08:45Lots of stones to dig up and everything.
08:47Absolutely.
08:48Lots of stones to dig up, lots of land to clear, and lots of trees to remove.
08:53Shivara has worked wonders here, and the rewards are popping up everywhere with healthy new trees all around, bearing delicious
09:01Bahamian fruit.
09:02So, come with me.
09:03Let me show you.
09:04So, we're not going to go back up the garden again?
09:05Oh, no.
09:06We're going right here to this papaya tree.
09:08Oh, what?
09:08Oh, look at this.
09:11This bad boy?
09:12This one right here.
09:13Okay, here we go.
09:18You can't get fresher than this, can you?
09:20No, fresher than that.
09:22Straight from the tree.
09:24Let me find the plate, no.
09:28We've picked our ingredients.
09:29Now, it's time to put all these homegrown flavors together.
09:33Oh, Shivara, look.
09:35All this lovely freshness.
09:36What are we going to make?
09:37So, today we're making a tropical papaya and passion fruit salad.
09:41Just simple, but lovely.
09:42So, start by cutting it.
09:43Mm-hmm.
09:45Take off both ends.
09:46Look at that color, the vibrancy of that.
09:48Oh, my word, darling.
09:50Okay.
09:50Now, we're going to slice it down, the size.
09:52Okay, here we are.
09:53This is...
09:54This is beautiful.
09:54I can't believe I've never, ever picked a papaya straight from the tree like this and used it.
10:01This is so fresh and lovely.
10:02So, make sure you don't slice it too thick, okay?
10:04Okay.
10:05Because we want to keep...
10:06We want to eat the fruit, okay?
10:07Okay.
10:08So, we're going to remove all that.
10:09You say about my older sister.
10:12You're just telling me what to do all the time.
10:13Yeah, just keep going.
10:14Like, we're going to remove the seed.
10:15I've never cooked before, you know.
10:19And when you're done, now we're going to cut it in half and we're going to remove all the seed.
10:23Look at that.
10:24Super delicious.
10:24How often would you have papaya?
10:26Every morning for breakfast?
10:27I love papaya for breakfast.
10:28Mm-hmm.
10:29Absolutely.
10:29Bit of fresh lime squeezed on top?
10:31Fresh lime, sometimes a yogurt.
10:33This is absolutely my favorite.
10:35So tropical, so fresh.
10:37Mm-hmm.
10:38Absolutely.
10:38Okay.
10:39There you go.
10:39Mm-hmm.
10:41I just know this fruit is going to taste as good as it looks.
10:45Oh, when it's fresh like this, you get every bit of sweetness and tangy.
10:49Yeah, man.
10:50Next, we're going to use the passion fruit, okay?
10:53Straight and half.
10:54Straight and half.
10:55Mm-hmm.
10:56There you go.
10:57Look at that.
10:58Vibrant.
10:58That's amazing.
10:59This is what island produce is all about.
11:03So next, we're going to make a sauce.
11:05Okay.
11:06So we're going to add the local honey.
11:07Then we're going to use this muscadine jelly.
11:09This is tart and sweet.
11:10How much do you like in that?
11:11Oh, that's just a little bit more.
11:13Good.
11:14So we're also going to use a teaspoon of this.
11:16We're going to add that.
11:17And then we're going to add a passion fruit to this as well.
11:19Okay.
11:20So get it mixed all in.
11:21You mean the old wrinkly passion fruit?
11:23The old wrinkly passion fruit.
11:25Okay.
11:25The older, the sweeter.
11:27Okay.
11:27And then we're going to mix that, blend that all together.
11:30Look at that.
11:31Just looks fantastic.
11:33Can I have a little taste?
11:34Yeah.
11:38Oh, that grape.
11:39It's very tart.
11:41Is it tart?
11:41Yeah.
11:42It's sweet.
11:42Yeah.
11:42It's a bit of sourness in there, isn't it?
11:43Absolutely.
11:44And then you do taste the earthy flavors of the honey as well.
11:47Mmm.
11:47Yeah.
11:48That's beautiful.
11:48So now we're going to add that to this.
11:50Okay.
11:52So you can stir it all in.
11:54Yeah.
11:54Wow.
11:54Look at that.
11:56This is beautiful, isn't it?
11:57Isn't it?
11:58So, so, so simple.
11:59And a little bit of that beautiful, fresh Thai basil.
12:04This looks so inviting.
12:05Doesn't that look lovely?
12:06Lovely.
12:07Why don't you give it a taste?
12:08And you tell me.
12:10You promised me something really fresh and you have delivered big time.
12:17Big time and the food is so blind.
12:22I love that.
12:23Oh, yeah.
12:26So lovely.
12:28So natural.
12:29So easy.
12:29And so fresh.
12:30Fabulous.
12:32You're most welcome.
12:40And the freshness theme continues as I get gardening out among the mangroves.
12:47Awesome.
12:48And I see how the things stand up.
12:50Before sizzling up a sensational Bahamian snapper.
12:55Fish is saying to me, turn me.
12:57Turn me over.
12:58I'm crispy.
13:06Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas.
13:08Brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
13:16Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas.
13:18Brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
13:26Welcome back to Nassau and Paradise Island.
13:30Today I've been exploring the future of farming.
13:33Not bad, huh?
13:34Not bad.
13:35That's brilliant.
13:36And savoring the taste of papaya straight from the tree.
13:41Fabulous.
13:43But now I'm on the south coast, digging into the roots of a rather special place.
13:50It's hard to imagine now that this stretch of water used to be a bit of a dumping ground.
13:56Then a group of determined locals decided enough was enough.
14:01They cleared away all the rubbish and gave nature a chance to bounce back.
14:07Bonefish Pond is around 1,200 acres of tidal wetlands.
14:13The mangroves here are an excellent natural protector of the island.
14:16They're twisted roots, acting like a barrier against storms and tidal surges.
14:21They also create a thriving ecosystem for birds and fish.
14:25But back in 2002, things were very different.
14:28And here to tell me more from the Bahamas National Trust is Lakeisha Anderson-Roll.
14:34Lakeisha.
14:38Wetlands were historically known as wastelands across the Bahamas and other parts of the world.
14:43They did not see the value of it.
14:46And so when they needed to find a place to release their trash, they dumped it in a wetland area.
14:52For 23 years now, we've taken on the responsibility of managing this protected area,
14:59but also all 33 of the national parks across the Bahamas.
15:02But this is a very special and unique place.
15:05It is a unique place.
15:07They call this Bonefish Pond.
15:10It's a bonefish and it's certainly not a pond.
15:12Bonefish is actually one of the prominent fish species
15:16that are part of the catch and release industry here in the Bahamas.
15:19What you see here, you see tall, red mangroves here at Bonefish Pond,
15:25but what you don't see lies beneath the surface of the water.
15:29Mangroves are breeding grounds and they help to protect by sheltering
15:33those small baby fish from large predators.
15:36Fish that you find here, they grow up in the mangroves
15:38and then they move out into the open ocean
15:41and then they find a reef system to then live on.
15:43So this is the beauty and the importance
15:46in terms of mangroves here at this particular area.
15:49Absolutely.
15:49You're so passionate about it.
15:51It's wonderful.
15:54Lakeisha's love of the water is deep-rooted.
15:57She cares about this place
15:59and caring for this place means looking out for the mangroves
16:02and making sure they continue to take hold here.
16:06So she's invited me to lend a hand with a little planting.
16:11We have two red mangroves.
16:13Yeah.
16:13Mangrove planting is simple, yet it's very impactful.
16:17Every leaf, every trunk, every root stores carbon.
16:22So you are helping to play your part in helping us
16:25to reduce greenhouse gases by planting mangroves.
16:29Beautiful.
16:29So I want you to take this, place it into the hole.
16:32And then put everything back?
16:34Put everything right back in
16:35and make sure it stays in place and it's sturdy.
16:38You've done this before, haven't you?
16:40I love a bit of gardening.
16:41My mum was part of the horticultural society,
16:44so I was out there all the time
16:46and I used to moan and groan
16:48and now I'm turning into her.
16:50There you go.
16:51Awesome.
16:52You know, see how the things stand up?
16:55Let's do one more?
16:56Yeah, well done.
16:57Let's do one more.
16:59This is so much more than just gardening.
17:02Every mangrove plays its part in protecting the island
17:06and the fish population here,
17:08which is so important if you love cooking
17:10and eating fish like I do.
17:13We're going to call this one Chef Ainsley, right?
17:16Chef Ainsley makes a big impression
17:19at the mangrove in the Bahamas.
17:22We appreciate you very much.
17:24Courtesy of Lakeisha.
17:27Thanks so much for joining us
17:29and thank you so much for leaving your mum.
17:31Yeah, I certainly have.
17:33Awesome.
17:33Brilliant.
17:41Having done my bit to help future generations of fish
17:44get the best start in life,
17:46it's time to get cooking.
17:48I've been inspired by so much today,
17:50so I need a dish that captures all those island flavours.
17:55Of course, when you walk around the Bahamas,
17:58you're surrounded by sea,
18:00which means there's an abundance of fish.
18:02I've got a beautiful snapper here
18:04and you can fry it up
18:05and you can make it really crispy and flaky and flavoursome.
18:10And I'm going to get some cuts into it,
18:12so just cut in like that.
18:15Create those little slits into the fish.
18:18Turn that over, exactly the same thing,
18:20just into the fish like that.
18:24Now, I'm going to get a bit of lime juice in there.
18:29Something my mum used to do a little bit,
18:31but they do so much more out here,
18:34is they squeeze the lime into their fish,
18:38into their chicken.
18:39Now, what about that seasoning?
18:40You know, when we think about it at home,
18:42you know, it's normally a sort of dry ingredient, isn't it?
18:45But here, it's all about the herbs,
18:47the onions, the woodpepper,
18:49and, of course, a bit of all the spice.
18:52All those things are incorporated into a seasoning.
18:58Going into our food processor.
19:01Next up, a bit of ginger and garlic.
19:05The spring onion.
19:09I've got quite a bit of coriander and parsley there,
19:13along with some fresh thyme.
19:15Always a favourite of mine.
19:18Actually, grow it in the garden.
19:19Scotch bonnet.
19:21Go careful with that, guys, OK?
19:23And finally, I've got here some allspice,
19:26which are so, so aromatic.
19:29Just lovely.
19:29Not crushing them.
19:31Everything will happen inside my food processor.
19:40I've got to lick a bit of the goose pepper in my nose.
19:46OK.
19:47Now, look, I know sometimes at home, you know,
19:49we can be a little bit frightened of the old holdfish, you know?
19:52Once we see a head and an eyes or something like that,
19:55oh, I'm not going to cook that.
19:56It really is so, so simple.
19:58So try and have a go.
20:00If you want to use a fillet,
20:00by all means, use a fillet.
20:02What I want to do is I want to dredge it in a bit of seasoned flour.
20:08Hello, you.
20:09You ready to go in the fryer?
20:11Lovely.
20:12I'm shallow frying my snapper for about five to seven minutes on each side,
20:16so it cooks slowly and crispens up beautifully.
20:21OK, now, what about that dressing in with the oil?
20:25Let's get the honey in there, shall we?
20:28There we are.
20:30And the bees come to say hello.
20:32Good morning, bees.
20:33How are you?
20:34And a bit of lime juice.
20:36But look at that.
20:38That fish is saying to me,
20:40turn me.
20:41Turn me over.
20:42I'm crispy.
20:46Oh, lovely.
20:47Come on then, my darling.
20:52Perfect.
20:52That's what you're looking for.
20:54Now some lime juice for my dressing,
20:57salt and pepper,
20:59and time to make my salad.
21:02Look at this.
21:03Isn't that beautiful?
21:04That coriander.
21:05Just walking around that micro farm
21:08and talking to Tom about
21:11how he supplies all the big hotels
21:13and restaurants in the area.
21:15And it really is.
21:16The flavour is excellent.
21:18Hey, and what can I say about shivara?
21:20Taking that papaya,
21:22just twisting it fresh off the tree.
21:24I've incorporated that into
21:25my lovely salad here,
21:27along with some mango,
21:28a little bit of goat pepper.
21:30That really captures that
21:31real sort of Bahamian flavour.
21:33And some onion.
21:35Chop up a little bit of
21:36coriander to go there.
21:38Rough chop.
21:39Rough chop.
21:40In we go with that.
21:43My fish is cooked.
21:46So, just a few slices of fried plantain
21:48and my dish is done.
21:51Well, there you have it.
21:52Ah.
21:53My whole snapper.
21:55With Bahamian seasoning,
21:57some beautiful mango papaya salad
21:59and fried plantain.
22:01Yeah, boy.
22:02It's crispy.
22:03It's clear the sun.
22:04And it's for you.
22:05I can't think of a better way
22:08to round off my farm-to-table adventure today
22:10on Nassau and Paradise Island.
22:13You know what?
22:14I love how innovative food producers
22:16are here in Nassau.
22:18We're talking about hydroponic lettuce.
22:21Tastes fantastic.
22:22What about fresh papaya from the tree?
22:25Ah, simply delicious.
22:26And I hope those mangroves stay here
22:28for many, many years to come.
22:31Ah.
22:55Ainsley's Taste of the Bahamas,
22:57brought to you by Nassau and Paradise Island.
22:59is a combination of meat
23:00Yeah.
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