What is conch? 9 best ways to eat conch
What is conch?
A conch is a mollusk that lives in a spiral or spiny shell in tropical waters. Conch is also a delicious meal that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, depending on your taste buds.
Conches can be found in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Florida and the Bahamas. Conches are hermaphrodites, thus not male or female. They also are herbivores, in case you are curious.
Conches are members of the snail family. I personally do not like eating snails, but conch does not have the texture or taste of a snail to me. Plus there are so many ways to prepare conches based on your mood or personal preferences.
Conch is pronounced konk. Like my grandmother used to say, straighten up or I will konk you on the head with a frying pan. (this was an idle threat, she would never risk damaging her frying pan).
What does a conch look like?
Most people are familiar with the beautiful spiral white and pink conch shells. The shells also come in brown and a rare black. Some are longer and some wider, depending on the type of conch and where the conch is found.
I am not familiar with the conch outside of Florida and the Bahamas. The conches in Florida usually do not have the deep pink hues like the conch in the Bahamas. The shells come in all sizes and are collectable to some individuals.
The conch itself looks like, well, a pink mushy muscle blob thing. Yes, that is a technical definition of a conch. I would say they are attractive, but well I cannot. Just focus on the shell.
I recently found a large conch off the coast of Florida on Hutchinson Island. The conch shell is a dingy brown and the conch itself was rather large.
Yes, I swam out a little ways and put the conch back into the water.
Where do you find a conch?
You can walk the beaches in search of empty shells. In certain areas, you can find conches in relatively shallow water. My favorite way to collect conches is to hold on to a boat that is slowly dragging you through the water. As you spot the conch you want, you bang the the swim platform as you drag in a deep breath to dive down to collect the conch. I will say that a conch you collected yourself tastes better.
My pilot and I made around six trips a year to the Bahamas (pre-covid). I pick an island with a runway and he takes me there. On the out islands of the Bahamas, you can walk up to the beachside stands and they will send someone out into the water to bring a fresh conch back for preparation. Often the beachside stands gather conches and then put them closer to shore so fresh conches are available on demand.
How does a conch move?
They walk. Conch do not literally walk, but you can find conches dragging themselves across the beach to move back into the ocean. I have only seen conch walk on the out islands in the Bahamas. Take a seat on an unspoiled nearly deserted leeside beach, in the while sand, feet in the water as the tide moves out and wait. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to see conches walking.
9 of the best ways to eat conch
There are several restaurants in Florida that have conch on the menu, but I am spoiled by the fresh conch of the Bahamas and find the Florida restaurant conch disappointing; so much so that I do not order it, other than the occasional conch fix that makes me miss the Bahamas. Maybe I just haven’t found the right restaurant. Maybe the scenery makes the conch taste better.
So once you find conches, do you really want to eat a conch? Absolutely! What is the best way to eat conch? There are many options so pick your favorite.
Conch Fritters
If you are a little squeamish, try the conch fritters. Conch fritters are mostly fried bread with conch in it. Imagine flour, eggs and thinly sliced conch, deep fried. There are variations of the recipes, which include ingredients such as beer, hot peppers, bell peppers, onions, lime, and curry powder. Per my pilot nothing tastes better than conch fritters made with bell peppers and lime, dipped in conch sauce.
Cracked Conch
If you want a little more conch, try the cracked conch or conch bites. Both are large pieces of conch that have been beaten until tender. Yes, literally beaten with a meat tenderizer hammer.
The conch is dipped in a batter of milk, eggs and flour then fried until the batter turns to a light golden crust. Cracked conch is similar to perfect homemade chicken fingers. However, cracked conch is a bit more chewy and has a different texture than chicken.
Sauce for the Conch Fritters and Cracked Conch
Now to finish off the conch fritters or cracked conch you need sauce.
My favorite dipping sauce for a conch fritter is made of ketchup, mayonnaise and lime juice. I do not like mayonnaise but the lime juice takes away the flavor of the mayonnaise. You can also add a bit of hot sauce to add a little spice, which is the way my pilot likes it.
Conch Sandwich
If you want something a little more filling, try a conch sandwich. A conch sandwich is similar to a poboy. The conch is lightly fried conch, topped with lettuce, tomato and onion then placed in bread.
Nothing is better than the homemade bread of the out islands, which provides the perfect blend of flavors, with or without the sauce.
Conch Chowder
My boys’ favorite is conch chowder. There are so many different recipes for conch chowder. However, we have found mainly two different kinds of conch chowder. One is tomato based with a little spice and some veggies. This version is what we typically find in the Bahamas and south Florida. The tomato based recipe is the one my boys prefer.
The other version we have come across is milk chowder base, like a New England clam chowder, with conch and corn. We all have tried the milk based version and will pass.
Conch chowder is only available in certain restaurants in Florida. Check the menus. Our favorite location is Two Georges in Boynton Beach, Florida. There you will find conch fritters and conch chowder.
Conch chowder can be difficult to find on some of the out islands. However, you can put in a request most everywhere and they will make it for you with a few days notice. This is the same for the different types of homemade bread, which is a perfect compliment to conch chowder.
Conch Salad
This is my favorite! (even before I was gluten intolerant due to a wheat allergy).
Fresh conch that is chopped into bite sized pieces is paired with finely diced peppers and onions.
The mixture is ‘cooked’ by squeezing fresh limes over the top and mixing, like a ceviche. It is light, cool and filling. The lime accents the flavor of the onions and peppers and the salt of the conch blends everything together perfectly.
You can eat it with a fork, but I prefer a spoon to scoop up the juices in every bite. If you can eat crackers, go ahead but I think you lose the flavor of the conch salad.
The picture includes a basket of conch fritters and my favorite conch salad.
If you are lucky enough to find a place with a breadfruit tree, eat your conch salad with fried breadfruit and you have a perfect pairing to scoop the conch salad into your mouth. (Max’s on Long Island had a breadfruit tree that was destroyed in a hurricane. Prior to that you could order breadfruit with your conch salad).
A breadfruit tree is an evergreen that produces small green fruits. When the breadfruit is sliced and fried, it tastes like a mild sweet bread. For someone who cannot eat wheat, breadfruit is amazing, especially when the only thing fried in the oil is breadfruit.
The breadfruit tree is also rumored to keep away mosquitos which is a blessing certain times a year in the center of a Bahamian Island away from the ocean breeze.
Grilled Conch
You can grill conches, just like chicken or steak on the grill. Just like other meats, you select whatever spices or marinades you want for your conch. I prefer brushing the conch with butter, laying it on aluminum foil and putting it on the grill. My pilot prefers the conch directly on the grill to sear the outside and eaten with a side of butter and lime juice.
The key to grilling a conch is making sure the grill is really hot and that you only cook it for a few minutes. Grilled conch is a little tough and chewy for me unless it has been beaten (see cracked conch).
Steamed Conch
Steamed conch is similar to a stew. Conch is cooked with tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers and served over white rice. Often steamed conch is spicy so the white rice balances out the flavors. My pilot loves steamed conch with all the spice. My boys and I steer clear of the spice.
Conch Pizza
I know. Pizza?!? Seriously? Think of your favorite crust, topped with tomato sauce, local peppers, cheese and conch fresh from the ocean. I absolutely love conch pizza. I also really miss conch pizza as finding gluten free crust in the out islands is not a possibility thus far.
I first discovered conch pizza at a small brick oven pizza place on the beach in Pineapple Fields, Eleuthera.
The only other island we have found conch pizza is Long Island. Keep in mind, we rarely visit Grand Bahama or New Providence islands, as we prefer the small airports and amenities of the out islands.
I have yet to discover conch pizza anywhere else, including Florida.
I really miss conch pizza, so if you find it, especially gluten free, please let me know.
Fresh on the Beach
Seriously – dive into the water and bring a conch to the beach. Know that to remove the conch from the shell you most likely will damage the shell.
If you are prepared and have a drill you can drill a hole in the top to break the suction to pull the conch out. Otherwise, the top of the shell is broken off to allow the conch to be removed. If you really love the shell, find a local that is skilled in removing the conch without damaging the shell.
If you need to do it on your own, you can take the shell inside and boil it to remove the conch. That defeats the purpose of fresh conch on the beach, but if you have to have that shell….
Once you have the conch out of the shell, chop it up and eat it. Yes, you can eat a conch raw. Raw conch lacks any major flavor other than a bit of salt. The texture is very chewy and even a bit tough.
I prefer my conch ‘cooked’ with lime juice. Take fresh lime and squeeze it over the fresh conch. We love fresh conch on the beach, though I still need help getting the conch out of the shell.
Here is a picture from one of our trips to Cat Island of the conch after being removed from the shell but not yet chopped up.
What to drink with Conch
The advantage of general aviation and flying to your chosen destination is selecting your current favorite Bahamian island, or maybe the closest. The Bahamian islands are where you will find Kalik or Sands beer, which is the perfect thing to drink with conch. You cannot go wrong with a Sands or Kalik light.
You also can bring some beer back with you on your plane. We tend to return with Kalik Radlers, which is similar to the German radler of beer and lemonade. There are also pink radlers and cranberry radlers, which you should give a try. I can have one of the radlers without my allergy going too crazy but I have to steer clear of the other beers.
Should you try conch?
One of the benefits of traveling to new places is trying new food. We have a rule on our planes that started when the boys were very young; You must try one bite of everything, no matter what. Guess that is why I have children that eat every kind of conch and will fight you over the last piece of grouper or mahi on every island.
If you have another type of conch, email me. We are always looking for a reason to head back to the Bahamas. If you find gluten free pizza in the out islands, PLEASE let me know.
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