Conchs for Christmas

People have been buying conchs as the preferred choice of delicacy to put on their Christmas table, said vendors Kiran Dhram and Therese Sang. The couple make a living from sales of conchs and yesterday that said business began to boom in the first week of December.

Dhram and Sang use to sell on the roundabout in Caroni just before what is commonly known as the ‘Silver Bridge’. Two months ago they began to experience a pitch in the demand from motorists for conch meat and Sang was encouraged to open her own stall along the Link Road in Tarouba.

Conch is a large-sized sea snail with a shell, but there are conchs which are harvested from lagoons and sweet-water ponds.

A string of conch of about 15, is sold for $100. But recently, there have been reports of vendors selling ‘smelly’ conchs which resulted in Health Inspectors swooping down on them and issuing warnings. Dhram and Sang believe that they are being targeted by the more lucrative dealers in the trade, because conch sales this Christmas seemed to have generated stiff competition.

Sang said, “This is an attempt to bring down our business by jealous vendors. The people who complained are into the same business and they wanted us to close down. This is why they went to the media with a complaint that the conchs were smelling badly.4” Sang and Dhram have taken the conch business a step forward and have launched a facebook page known as “Lagoon Conch”.

Sang said she buys conchs from a supplier in Moruga who goes into the forest where he harvest them from wetlands.

Sang says that around this time of the year and into Carnival season, there is an influx of foreigners to Trinidad and Tobago, and, conch sales soar.

She said that conch meat is eaten raw in salads, or cooked and can be used for burgers, chowders, fritters and gumbo.

“All parts of the conch meat are edible.

Many find only the white meat appetizing,” Dhram said.

Conchs is a favourite in many restaurants as well and recently, chefs have been preparing the meat in quite innovative recipes.