Looking for Conch

Conching is something that I learnt from my mother growing up.

Back in the day, after she had left her farm, she would walk over to Long Bay or Jim Hill & Pitty on the south side of the island, (the area is currently referred to as Turtle Tail) and go look for conch. This was not just something to do for fun or leisure but was what she did to help put food on the table at home. She would find as many conch as possible, as the water was most times low and favourable to finding conch, then tote them home, where she would cook some then beat the remaining conch and hang them to dry. Drying them was a form of preserving the access conch, for use in soup, grits or rice at a later date.

This was not just a means of living for my mother, but for many of the people on the islands. Today, even though it is not a necessity, I enjoy going look for conch, and of course enjoy eating it too.