Invasive species are aserious job , but what ’s the best direction to deal with them ? One solution might be to stick ‘ em in a stew and gobble them right up .
What is an invasive species?
Invasive coinage are non - aboriginal mintage thatcause harm . Introduced eitheron purposeor incidentally to areas where they do n’t naturally exist , these mintage are deemed to have a serious negative impact on the environment , human , animal , or plant health , the economy , or even combinations of the three . There are remember to bemore than 6,500such metal money established in the US .
Can you eat any of them?
While there are lots of differentmethodsfor trying to manage invasive species – primarily , preventing them from invading in the first place – some have proposed thatturning them into foodcould make a particularly economical response to the problem .
One of the invasive mintage that you may consume is nutria ( Myocastor Myocastor coypus ) – y’know , those giant rat - like creature that multitude onTikTokhave been feeding ? Yeah … they ’re not suppose to be anywhere but South America , and hoi polloi in spades should n’t be feed them .
These Rodents of Unusual Size were first brought over to the USfor their fur , but when that market collapse in the forties , they were released or escaped and have been wrecking wetlands ever since , which bear upon the power of native species to flourish and keep the environment .
It ’s not the coypu ’s flaw , of row – they ’re just doing what they naturally do – but that does n’t intend that they are n’t a important trouble . The US Fish and Wildlife Service ’s result ? “ lay aside a Swamp , Sauté a Nutria . ” According to theagency , nutria meat is “ thin , mild , and tastes like cony . ”
People have also taken to Florida’siguana problemin this way , popping the “ chicken of the trees ” into all sort of different formula , whilelionfish , wild wild boar , andnorthern snakeheadare also all a rootage of invasive species meat ( although verify to remove the lionfish ’s venomous thorn ) .
If any of those are tempting your tastebuds , it ’s significant to not rush flat out in search of delicious trespassing ingredients ; fit out what the hunt regulations are in your area , and make indisputable you have intercourse what you want to eat actuallyisedible .
The same goes for plant - based ingredients;kudzu and garlic mustardare both invasive mintage that can beforagedand eat , but there are also plenty of plants that you should stay well away from . Giant Heracleum sphondylium is a problem , sure as shooting , but it ’s in spades not one to put in a salad , hold that its toxic sap can sunburn your tegument .
Once you ’ve made sure that everything is legal and you ’re not going to circumstantially injure yourself , then go flop ahead . Myocastor coypus stew , iguana kebabs , a side salad of kudzu leave of absence ? The world is your invasive oyster .
