As befits the Sunshine State’s location in the southern corner of the nation, touched on three sides by salt water, Florida’s food specialties are delectably shaped by the availability of fresh sea food and its proximity to the Deep South. From spicy U-Peel shrimp, stone crab claws, conch chowder and seared tuna to biscuits, grits, hush puppies, black-eyed pea salad and barbecued ribs, Florida food is delightfully diverse.

Factor in the Cuban influence, which radiates out of Miami and contributes cafe cubano, the Mojito, fried beef (vaca frita), fried plantains, moros y cristianos (black beans and rice) or the tasty Cuban sandwich - and you have yourself a meal. Or several. Another day and a different dinner, thank also this southern state’s location close to the Caribbean for dishes like jerk pork, served up with roasted corn on the cob, and chicken tropicana, a saucy dish mixed with tropical fruit, coconut and cashews. Not quite Jamaica but who’s complaining?

Courtesy of the state’s agreeable climate, both citrus and relatively tropical fruits grow well in these parts, from avocados, papayas and oranges to kumquats, mangos, kiwis, star fruit and limes, any combination of which is often available as a satisfyingly cold fruit shake. If that doesn’t keep the sweet tooth in check, try a generous slice of Key lime pie, made from the small limes that grow in the Keys but a desert made state-wide.

Not surprisingly, fruity cocktails also do brisk business, particularly along the Florida coast, where the aforementioned Mojito competes with the Margarita, fruity Daiquiris and the Hal Ligon (of late known as the Screwdriver but with Key West origins) for lip service.

For those willing to travel miles on a cuisine-driven odyssey, plug Apalachicola into the GPS, a small town way up the Gulf Coast that produces almost all of the state’s oysters and catches them wild, just as they’ve done for decades. For oyster lovers, it’s a must.

A sack of oranges might be a little bulky to lug home on the plane, but there plenty of other edible souvenirs more suitably sized to consider, like Key lime oil, tangerine butter (aka jam), salt water taffy, hot jalapeno pepper jelly or some Tupelo honey from the Panhandle.