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November 7, 2005

Biting Back Against Invasive Species

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. I wasn't always, you know. But sometime in my early adult life, I came to the realization that being a picky eater was making me miss out on a whole range of experiences, especially abroad. So I developed a new strategy - I'd try just about anything. Then, if I didn't like it, I just wouldn't eat it again. Within reason, of course. It's actually quite similar to my take on voting - I don't wanna hear you bitching about the government unless you voted.

Nowadays I'm surprised by how narrow some American's palatal preferences really are. A lot of people still wrinkle their noses when I say that sushi is one of my favorite meals - freshwater eel especially. So when someone offers snake, is that really so different? Remember, though, that I said within reason. For me, that means not eating something that could hurt me - like poisonous blowfish. I just don't like those odds. But when my father mentions he would like to try the ultra-expensive and ultra-exotic coffee Kopi Luwak, harvested from the droppings of a tree-climbing civet (otter-cat-like marsupial) of Indonesia, I no longer automatically think he's joking... although the $600/lb price tag provides a bit of a turnoff.

I had some great food when I was in New Orleans earlier this year. I also tried some new stuff. I'm rather ashamed to say that turtle soup is really good, but the guilt I felt made me vow to only ever partake within Louisiana borders. Gator-On-A-Stick at the French Market was also a treat, although I've had alligator before with fondue and it tasted just like chicken. At one point, I ordered an “OFF TO SEE THE LIZARD” Swamp Platter from a cute young waiter who waxed on about shooting squirrels in his backyard and barbequeing them. The platter had fried frog legs, fried gator nuggets, fried crawfish tails, fried catfish strips, filé gumbo, and corn sticks - needless to say, I made myself a bit ill with all that fried food, but it was a nice intro. All of it was tasty, except for the frog - that was fishy and rather ligamenty... Enough visual for you?

One local delicacy I was not offered was nutria. The only nutria I saw were in the zoo and Barataria Nature Reserve in Jean Lafitte National Park. The nutria is a water-loving rodent native to South America, but now lives in a number of other regions like the Gulf Coast and Europe. In most places, it's considered a pest because it eats the native vegetation, destroys irrigation systems, and displaces native animals. Louisiana has even imposed a bounty program to help stem the tide of nutria-induced damage.

As a poster child for invasive species, the nutria was right at the top of the list when experts suggested one of the latest ways in which people can help fight back. Researches have noted that many of the invasive species of North America are actually quite tasty - and they're urging people to "bite back" by eating the exotic species. According to Wikipedia, nutria is reported to taste like rabbit or turkey dark meat, and it's meat (also called ragondin) is higher in protein and lower in both fat and cholesterol than turkey, chicken, or beef!

Green crabs and periwinkles cause trouble along the East Coast of North America. They're invasive species that disrupt native ecosystems. But they're also delicious...many exotic plants and animals taste good, and this might be the key to controlling their populations.

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Meals such as slow-cooked nutria, exotic jade soup, and carp in sour cream with wild mushrooms... could mean a free lunch for you...eating them can have positive impacts on native ecosystems.

More At: Earthwatch Radio: Exotic Eating

You can find the following recipes in the Audubon Magazine article Eat the Invaders! online:

Exotic Jade Soup
Nutria, Wild Boar, and Crawfish Egg Roll Towers
Sweet and Spicy Side
Carp in Sour Cream With Wild Mushrooms
Kudzu Sorbet

Back in 1998, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wetlands Research Center teamed up and had the first official nutria cooking contest with the theme: Save Our Wetlands----Eat Louisiana Nutria. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries invited several chefs to come and cook up the orange-toothed river rodent, exposing the public to a number of unique dishes!

Posted by sorsha at November 7, 2005 11:39 AM