Conch

The conch shell is pinkish in color and spiral in shape. The animal comes from the Strombidae family and is a Gastropod Mollusk. Roman mythology suggests that the shell was used as a horn, but here in the Bahamas, Conch is a way of life.

Bahamians refer to the fleshy meat as an aphrodisiac; the Bahamas version of Viagra, or so it is rumored. There's a local saying that "Kalik (the local beer) gives you the feeling, while Conch (pronounced like konk), gives you the strong back for..." (Hand line fishing.)

Once the meat has been masterfully detached from the shell, Bahamian men tend to swallow whole the clear, worm-like portion known in Nassau as the "pistle". I had, on one occasion, tasted the pistle and can vouch that neither is it tasty nor did it alter my libido, then again, I'm not Bahamian, nor am I male.

Bahamians are as diverse in preparing conch as Forest Gump and his buddy were with shrimp. There's conch salad, crack conch, conch chowder, conch souse, smudder conch, grill conch, scorch conch, conch fritters and even conch burgers, just to name a few. Yet, with all these scrumptious varieties, the salad is the most in demand.

To prepare a conch salad, the meat is swiftly and adeptly sliced and diced, followed by green pepper, tomato and onion. Hot, red or goat pepper may then be added, depending on individual preference. All the ingredients are then mixed and sprinkled with a substantial amount of salt. Finally, the juice from freshly squeezed sour oranges, lemons or limes is added. Variations in the preparation of conch salad include adding sweet orange, cucumber, cabbage or celery.

The conch chef, much like the Japanese Sushi chef, puts on quite a show as he professionally prepares the salad. At Arawak Cay, there are at least 25 chefs waiting to perform.

Located west of town and across from Fort Charlotte, Arawak Cay is a small colorful village standing on piles and piles of old conch shells. The Cay consists of uniquely designed houses,

including some that are two levels and feature music. Locals, as well as tourist gather round and watch in amazement as the conch chef raises and lowers his machete-like knife. The ambience is relaxed and jumping at the same time. It's not uncommon to go for a quick salad and stay three or four hours, especially if the Kalik and Sky Juice are flowing freely.

I spoke to Steven, a conch chef at Arawak, and he told me that on a slow day he prepares around 100 salads. On weekends and busy hours he can prepare anywhere from 600 to 700 salads daily. That's a lot of conch!

My husband and I tend to frequent Kings, Sea Food Haven, the Red Snapper, Foxy's and Goldies. Whatever the choice, when in Bahamas, a conch salad is a must!