The Queen of Conch

Looking back on spring break I’m instantly reminded of salt infused breezes and the bright colored cottages that line Bay Street. Masses of golf carts speed past fisherman’s dock while some pull up to the turquoise and pink shack where I reside, perched on a stool, admiring the rapid slicing and dicing of conch that was probably stolen from the sea within the preceding hour. While I often like to refer to myself as Queen, I must confess that I was in the presence of a Queen even more supreme than I­: the Queen of Conch. She’s the renowned master of Conch salad, and widely known throughout the Bahamas. Her ingredients are rather consistent with the standard recipe for conch salad: tomatoes, onions, green peppers, limejuice, and conch (of coarse). However, the queen of conch adorns her salads with two distinctive ingredients, making hers unique from all the rest. A spritz of sour orange juice (her own mixture of fresh squeezed oranges and limes), along with a few dollops of her homemade pepper sauce, give this salad the added “wow factor” that all the others seem to lack. The eclectic mix of ingredients appeal to almost every taste bud; it’s tart, juicy, slightly sweet, and spicy. It also goes wonderfully with tortilla chips if you’re like me and always feel the need to appease a sodium addiction.

Queen Conch is truly a staple on Harbour Island. It’s easily taken on the go, or gobbled up on sight at one of the Pepto-Bismol painted picnic tables that align the water’s edge. And, with a $10 price tag for each 16-ounce container filled to the brim with the island’s freshest produce­– it’s definitely a steal. However, while each salad only takes about five minutes to concoct, you can be sure your order won’t be the first on the list. Luckily, on the island time is irrelevant and the locals’ gleaming smiles and friendly conversation can often cause the wait feel too short.