Editing Conch (section)

==Culinary use==
{{Cookbook|Conch}}[[File:Large eastern conch.jpg|thumb|A group of large eastern conches or [[whelk]]s of the species ''[[Busycotypus canaliculatus]]'' for sale at a California seafood market]]
The meat of conches are often eaten raw in [[salad]]s or cooked in burgers, [[chowder]]s, [[fritter]]s, and [[gumbo]]s.<ref name="foodreference_conch">{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=Conches: Characteristics, Species and Horns {{!}} Sea Life, Islands and Oceania — Facts and Details |url=https://ioa.factsanddetails.com/article/entry-281.html |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=ioa.factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref> Conch is indigenous to the Caribbean and [[West Indies]]. Conch is particularly popular in the [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]], [[Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos]], and [[Jamaica]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ranahan|first=Jared|date=October 30, 2019|title=10 local foods in Turks and Caicos that you have to try|url=https://www.10best.com/interests/food-travel/conch-lionfish-local-foods-turks-and-caicos/}}</ref> In Bahamas, conch is often cooked into fritters. In Jamaica conch is eaten in stews and curries. In the [[Dominican Republic]], [[Grenada]], and [[Haiti]], conch is commonly eaten in curries or in a spicy soup. It is locally referred to as ''lambi''. In [[Puerto Rico]], conch is served as a ''[[ceviche]]'', often called ''ensalada de carrucho'' (conch salad), consisting of raw conch marinated in lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, green peppers, and onions. It is also used to fill ''[[empanada]]s''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=Conches: Characteristics, Species and Horns {{!}} Sea Life, Islands and Oceania — Facts and Details |url=https://ioa.factsanddetails.com/article/entry-281.html |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=ioa.factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Panama]], conch is known as ''cambombia'' and is often served as ''ceviche de cambombia'', consisting of raw conch marinated in lime juice, chopped onions, finely chopped [[habanero]]s, and often vinegar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Jeffrey |title=Conches: Characteristics, Species and Horns {{!}} Sea Life, Islands and Oceania — Facts and Details |url=https://ioa.factsanddetails.com/article/entry-281.html |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=ioa.factsanddetails.com |language=en}}</ref>

Conch is very popular in [[Italy]] and among [[Italian Americans]]. Called ''sconcigli'', it is eaten in a variety of ways, but most often in salads or cooked in a sauce for pasta. It is often included as one of the dishes prepared for the [[Feast of the Seven Fishes]].

In East Asian cuisines, conch is often cut into thin slices and then [[Steaming|steamed]] or [[stir-frying|stir-fried]].

Eighty per cent of the queen conch meat in international trade is imported into the United States. The [[Florida Keys]] were a major source of queen conches until the 1970s, but the conches are now scarce and all harvesting of them in Florida waters is prohibited<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/international/animals/queen-conch.html|title=Queen Conch|website=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: International Affairs|access-date=March 14, 2019|archive-date=June 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604192708/http://www.fws.gov/international/animals/queen-conch.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and individuals who have harvested them have been punished by law enforcement.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Woman who collected queen conch seashells in Florida sentenced to jail|date=2018-07-19|orig-date=2018-07-18|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/07/18/tourist-collected-queen-conch-seashells-florida-sent-jail/794883002/|last=May|first=Ashley|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>

===Festival===
In [[the Turks and Caicos Islands]], the Conch Festival is held in November each year at the Three Queens Bar/Restaurant in Blue Hills. Local restaurateurs compete for the best and most original conch dishes, which are then judged by international chefs. Other competitions, events, and music performances occur.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-12-21|title=Turks and Caicos Conch Festival|url=https://turksandcaicostourism.com/turks-and-caicos-conch-festival/|access-date=2022-02-09|website=Welcome to the Turks and Caicos Islands|language=en-US}}</ref>