The queen conch, the “strombus gigas,” is found in the warm waters of the Atlantic and the Caribbean from Florida to Brazil. Their shells are readily identifiable, with a bright colored pink lip. The conch, which grows to adulthood with its shell, uses its strong muscle to propel itself. Conch meat has a mild, sweet flavor, and resembles a scallop in texture.
To celebrate the most important food product of the islands, the Turks & Caicos Islands organized the Turks & Caicos Conch Festival, held annually in November in the Blue Hills area of Providenciales. The festival showcases the conch with a “conch-e-tition” where local chefs compete for the honor of the best chowder, salad, and specialty dishes. Included are competitions in conch blowing, conch “knocking,” extracting the conch from the shell, and a competition for the best Mojito among the islands’ bartenders. The festival features live music, boat races, and activities for children. For more information on this year’s festival, check out the website for the festival. 2013 will be the festival’s 10th year!
For some of our images from the festival, click here. For more information about the Turks & Caicos Conch Farm, the world’s first and only commercial conch farm, click here.
For the whole series of “The Caribbean from A to Z,” click here!