The large, brightly colored spiral shells people buy at gift shops in beach towns are conch shells. In many parts of the world, conch meat, both raw and cooked, is a seafood delicacy that shows up in salads, soups, and fritters. You can also use a conch shell as a musical instrument by blowing into one end of it. The word conch comes from the Latin concha, "shellfish," from a Greek root, konkhē, "mussel or cockle."