Florida Keys Cuisine: WTM 2013 Fresh Seafood, Cuban Infused Flavours and the Famous Key Lime Pie
Stretching more than 100 miles into the open ocean, the Florida Keys can boast early settlers ranging from Bahamian fishermen to Cuban cigar makers and New England merchants. In such a rich melting pot, it’s natural that the indigenous cuisine incorporates diverse and delicious influences — with a reliance on an abundant array of fish and seafood harvested from surrounding waters. Commercial fishing, in fact, is the second-largest industry in the Keys. The fresh fish that graces a restaurant table at night was probably unloaded at the docks that morning, and fish and seafood headline nearly every restaurant menu.
Among the favourites is the Key West pink shrimp, a delicacy generally considered sweeter than other crustaceans. Whether sautéed in scampi, battered and fried, nestled atop salad or pasta, or simply steamed and served with savoury sauces, Key West pinks rank among the most popular of the Keys’ “natural resources.”
The mollusk conch (pronounced konk) is impossible to pass up and is served in many forms: lime-kissed salad, spicy chowder and golden deep-fried fritters among them. Conch chowder can either be tomato-based or white, but don’t expect to find any consistency of recipes from one restaurant to another. Keys eateries pride themselves on creating unique interpretations of classic dishes. As well as savouring the taste of conch, Keys residents admired the mollusk’s tough, hardy nature so much that they adopted its name for themselves. Today, conch is no longer fished in the Keys, but the word Conch refers to someone born in the island chain, which is affectionately known as the Conch Republic.
Stone crabs, renowned for their sweet and succulent meat, also are a popular delicacy. Because nearly all of the crab’s meat is contained within its grapnels, these are the only portions of the crustacean that are harvested. Once the claws are removed, the crab is returned to the sea where, over the course of up to two years, the claws regenerate. For this reason, stone crabs are considered a renewable resource, and the Florida Keys are responsible for nearly 60 percent of the state’s overall harvest. Stone crab claws are most commonly served warm with drawn butter or chilled with mustard sauce. The meat of the claws also can be used in crab cakes, fritters and stuffing. Florida’s stone crab season runs from 15 October to 15 May annually.
Unlike stone crabs, lobsters found in the Keys are clawless. Known as spiny lobster, they offer sweet and tender meat. Local restaurants often serve them steamed or boiled with drawn butter — or their meat might be made into salad or served with exotic sauces. Lobster season runs from 6 August to 31 March.
Yellowtail snapper, hog snapper, mutton snapper, grouper and dolphin (also called mahi-mahi) are just a few of the Keys’ scale fish preferred by chefs. At restaurants throughout the island chain, you can find sautéed yellowtail or snapper with a variety of sauces and accompaniments, along with fried grouper or mahi-mahi sandwiches, broiled or blackened fish entrees and much more.
In addition to offerings from the sea, Keys cuisine reflects a multitude of cultural influences — particularly Cuban in Key West. Migrating across the water by the thousands in the late 1800s, Cuban aristocrats and cigar makers brought the flavours of their homeland with them. Ropa vieja, a name that literally means “old clothes,” tastes like heavenly shredded beef. Other favourite dishes are picadillo and roast pork or pork chunks. Cuban entrees most often are served with traditional black beans and yellow rice, sweet plantains and Cuban bread. Some of the best Cuban sandwiches can be found in Key West and many savvy residents can’t start the day without a breakfast of toasted Cuban bread and Cuban coffee, which packs a ferocious jolt.
In addition to Cuban eateries, gourmets visiting the Keys will find (among others) French, Italian, German, Chinese, Caribbean, Thai, Japanese and vegetarian restaurants as well as steak houses and establishments featuring casual American fare and “comfort food.”
When it comes to desserts, it’s almost impossible to spend time in the Keys without sampling Key lime pie. Just as New Orleans is famed for its gumbo and Chicago for its pizza, the island chain is known for its signature dessert. There are no commercial Key lime groves in the Florida Keys today, but Key Largo boasted a large Key lime industry until about the mid-1930s. Restaurants throughout the Florida Keys and Key West continue to use Key limes and their juice to enhance seafood dishes and sauces, as well as in pies.
According to the owner of Key West’s Curry Mansion Inn, a woman named Aunt Sally, the cook for estate owner William Curry, made the first Key lime pie. Key West historian Tom Hambright, on the other hand, surmises that Aunt Sally likely perfected a delicacy that was the creation of area fishermen. Today, each restaurant places its individual hallmark on this special dessert, but its primary ingredients are condensed milk and tiny yellow Key limes.
As rich as Key lime pie is, however, it can’t compare to the richness of experience awaiting visitors to the Florida Keys. Whether feasting at a water’s-edge seafood shack or a gourmet emporium, visitors will find a warm welcome, an easy-going atmosphere and a unique and memorable dining experience.
Top culinary events in the Florida Keys in 2014:
9-18 January 2014, Uncorked: The Key Largo and Islamorada Food & Wine Festival
Come on down to the Florida Keys and enjoy a multi-sensory experience as Key Largo and Islamorada’s culinary experts step up to the ‘palate’ to present nearly 30 tasty food, wine and spirits events. Enjoy 10 days of wine tasting events, cooking demonstrations, food and wine pairing classes, progressive wine dinners, art and wine shows, and the festival finale, ”A Grand Tasting,” to be held 18 January 2014. What better way to “Uncork” and unwind in the Florida Keys?
For more information, visit www.floridakeysuncorked.com
18-19 January 2014, Ninth Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival (Key West)
This family-friendly event showcases fresh Keys seafood, drinks, marine-related crafts, youth activities, and live music. Admission is free and the festival is open from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, 18 January, and from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, 19 January, at Bayview Park in Key West. Fresh Florida Keys seafood and the commercial fishermen who harvest it are to be celebrated. The festival’s menu typically features fresh grilled Florida lobster, Key West pink shrimp, fried fish, stone crab claws, smoked fish dip and more – including traditional regional favourites such as conch chowder, conch salad, sweet flan and Key lime pie. All seafood is served by local fisherman and their families and there is nonstop entertainment by local musicians.
For more information, visit http://monroe.ifas.ufl.edu/environment/env_seafood_fest.shtml
22-26 January 2014, Key West Food and Wine Festival
Top chefs and restaurateurs showcase their culinary creativity and the Keys’ indigenous cuisine in a tasty schedule of events for food lovers. Attendees can also participate in food-related adventures during the savoury celebration.
For more information, visit www.keywestfoodandwinefestival.com/default/index.cfm
25-26 January 2014, Fifth Annual Key Largo Stone Crab and Seafood Festival
Chock full of fresh stone crab, conch, local seafood, music, entertainment and fun for the entire family, the festival includes a Conch Cook-Off, cooking demonstrations, a peel-and-eat shrimp eating contest, a “little mermaid” contest and a kids’ play area with live fish aquarium and touch tank. There will also be arts and craft vendors, a Junkanoo band, magic shows, face painters, food, beverages, and Key lime pie.
For more information, visit www.keylargoseafoodfestival.com
8-9 March 2014, Original Marathon Seafood Festival
One of the Middle Keys’ signature culinary and family events, the annual munch-fest highlights gourmet delicacies from the waters of the Florida Keys and takes place at Marathon Community Park. The event, sponsored by the Organized Fishermen of Florida and the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, boasts live music, vendor booths, sweets, treats and beverages and sensational seafood, making for a delectable weekend. In addition, the Florida Keys Art Guild hosts an open-air art show at the entrance to the festival.
For more information, visit www.marathonseafoodfestival.com
4-6 July 2014, Second Annual Key Lime Pie Festival
This All-American celebration is all about Florida’s official state pie, the Florida Keys’ signature dessert, which experts believe was created in Key West. Salute Key lime pie and the tiny fruit that inspired it with events ranging from a pie-eating contest to a Miss Key Lime pageant.
For more information, visit www.keylimefestival.com
For further information on the Florida Keys & Key West, visit www.fla-keys.co.uk
December 2013
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FOR MEDIA INFORMATION ONLY:
For more information and images, please contact Ulla Helander at the Florida Keys & Key West Nordic Press Office on ulla.helander@miltton.fi
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