Let's Have Dinner In The Florida Keys! Quiz

Answer: Coconut

Coconuts can be found on palm trees and consist of a hard outer shell that surrounds a thick white lining. The coconut meat can be eaten raw or cooked and is often shredded for recipes or a sweet garnish. Before coconuts mature, they are green in color and have a clear liquid contained within them.

The coconut water has been touted as having health benefits due to its low fat and high electrolyte content and is available in many retail grocery stores. However, the locals in Key West have been drinking this right out of the coconut shell for years and simply require a machete or knife to cut the shell and a straw to reap the benefits!

Answer: Sea snail

The sea snail called a queen conch lives in the ocean around Key West and in other coastal parts of Florida. By the time the snail is 3 years old it has reached maturity and its shell displays the pointed spines and unique lip that give it a distinctive look.

The meat is harvested from the shell and can be used in everything from salads to chowders to appetizers. A conch fritter is made by adding conch and chopped vegetables to seasoned batter and deep frying the small patties. An interesting fact is that conch has such a history in the area that locals who were born in Key West are actually called "Conchs".

Answer: Stone crab

Stone crabs live in relatively shallow ocean water where they burrow into holes. They are around 5-6" across and have very large claws tipped with a black color. The crabs are actually able to grow these claws back so fishermen remove the claws then throw the crab back in the water. Harvests take place between October and May of each year.

The claws, with their sweet-tasting meat, are boiled for five minutes and then served with melted butter for dipping.

Answer: False

This dish, which actually translates to "old clothes", is made of stewed beef with a variety of vegetables. Cuba is just over 90 miles from Key West and over the decades many of its people immigrated to America to seek political freedom and ended up staying in the Key West community.

They brought with them their traditions and their food, including this dish consisting of shredded beef, peppers, and onions that resembles the rags, or old clothes, for which it is named.

Answer: Hogfish

Hogfish live in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast waters around the Key West area. They frequent the reef areas where they use their long snouts to dig in the sandy bottom for food. This "rooting" for their dinner is what gives them their name. They are hard to catch with fishing tackle, so native Key West fisherman generally use spears or get them as a by-product of being caught in lobster traps. Even though hogfish look like a type of snapper, they are actually of the brightly colored wrasse family and have a flat shape with colors changing as they mature.

Their flesh is highly prized and is served in a variety of ways throughout the restaurants and homes of Key West.

Answer: Coriander

Cilantro, as it is called throughout the United States, is actually the leaf of the coriander plant. This herb, related to parsley, grows easily in the climate of Key West. Coriander has a long history and dates back to the ancient Greeks when they used it as a form of perfume. Since then, it has been utilized not just in cooking but also for health benefits.

Its antioxidant and antiseptic properties aid in regulating blood pressure, lowering stress, and aiding in skin disorders. The leaves have a slight citrus flavor and are used in recipes throughout Key West such as pepper sauce, seafood dips, and as an addition to delicious sides.

Answer: Plantain

Plantains are members of the family that include bananas and may, at first glance, appear similar to their yellow cousin. However, the plantain, although containing sugar, has much more starch than a banana and is often treated as a vegetable. It has quite a bit of cooking uses and can be steamed, boiled, or fried.

They grow in trees in places, like Key West, that boast high humidity. Like the banana, they are full of potassium and they are also loaded with Vitamin A to help with the immune system. Ripe plantains, peeled and cut, are often fried and then lightly salted before serving.

Answer: They do not have claws

Unlike the Maine lobsters many people are familiar with, the Florida Key lobsters do not have claws and are eaten mainly for their tails. They weigh in at an average of 1 pound and are about 10 inches long. They are caught for recreation between August 6 and March 31 of each year and have a limit of six lobsters per person per day in the Keys.

They are very rarely boiled, but are often grilled or broiled. Their meat can be also be used in a wide variety of recipes, including crab cakes.

Answer: Espresso

Cuban coffee is espresso with a sugary foam beaten into the mixture. The espresso itself is made with a mixture of finely ground coffee beans that is put into a machine which forces hot water through the beans at a high pressure. This creates a very concentrated, slightly thick, beverage with a slight foam. For Cuban coffee, a bit of this espresso is added to sugar and beaten until creamy and then put back in the espresso before serving.

It is often served in the Keys with dessert, some water, and a nice Cuban cigar!

Answer: Light yellow

Key lime pie has been made for over 100 years and originated in the Florida Keys where the tart Key lime fruits grow. The filling is made from egg yolks, condensed milk, and the juice of Key limes. It is the egg yolks that help give the filling the light yellow coloring people come to expect.

The original recipes, many argue, called for no crust while over the years many people have used graham cracker crumbs or flaky one layers. Some people utilize the egg whites for a meringue while others do not. No matter the debates, this dessert became the official Florida state pie in 2006.