By Ahana Ogle, Nutrition and Food Management with Foundation Year
Edited by Ben Jamieson, BA Broadcast and Digital Journalism
This month, The West London Wick and UWL’s Sustainability Society are collaborating to help achieve the Sustainability Society’s mission of raising awareness amongst university students about the climate emergency and sustainability (it’s not just an environmental concept). This month’s first article is about Invasive Species Dining, a concept currently gaining traction in the food world.
Exploring the bold idea of eating invasive species (aka invasives) – from green crabs to kudzu – out of existence, is a trend that could help end environmental costs across the world and reduce economic pressures.
The bold idea to eat them out of existence occurred to conservation biologist Joe Roman, 20 years ago, when he developed the concept of invasivorism. Which at the time was more of a cocktail conversation than a seriously discussed scientific theory. Today, it is gaining traction, and many environmentally destructive, non-native plants and animals are already being seen on tables, especially in the Southern USA.
Britain is home to more than 3,000 invasive species, most notorious of which is the crayfish which can reproduce aggressively and out-compete other wildlife, as well spread disease and destroy local habitats. Here are just some of the invasive species you might be seeing on your plate soon.
Crayfish
Introduced to Britain from the states in the 1970s to be reared on farms for restaurants and markets, this species quickly became established in the wild. After many were released, they spread throughout British rivers and streams, and today they’re prevalent across the UK as well as through Europe.
Crayfish are very successful at dominating new habitats. They produce many offspring and eat almost anything, from rubbish to aquatic plants, fish, small invertebrates, and even each other. Their extensive burrowing has eroded river banks throughout the UK, and they pose a grave threat to native wildlife.
Popular in Louisiana in meals such as crayfish boils, prepared crayfish is surprisingly hard to find in the UK.
Green Crab
The native European green crab is now one of the US’s most widely spread invasive species, being introduced to the West Coast in the 1980s.
In 2019, foodies from New England teamed up with ecologists to create the Green Crab Cookbook. Using recipes from Venice to Vietnam, it was written in an attempt to entice people to eat invasive species into extinction. They even founded a free program to distribute the invasive Green Crab to stuck-at-home cooks during lockdown (Shuck at Home 2020).
Kudzu
Known as the “vine that ate the South,” kudzu can grow a foot (0.3 meters) a day. It has been overtaking trees, and even whole buildings since being introduced to the United States during the Philadelphia World’s Fair in 1876. Kudzu is especially prevalent in southern states where it was once widely planted.
Matt Marcus, head chef for Watershed restaurant in Atlanta, has pickled, dried and fermented kudzu, with the aim of using it to finish salads. He also uses it as an innovative base to a risotto instead of the traditional rice, and turns it into a gel used to top tarts.
Lionfish
While it’s unclear how lionfish reached the Atlantic Ocean ,a lack of natural predators means they are now free to prey on the native fish population.
Like puffer fish, its venom makes it dangerous if not prepared in the correct way. But that hasn’t scared chefs in Louisiana, where it is cooked and served in a variety of styles at many restaurants. This includes GW Fins in New Orleans, where it’s served Vietnamese-style with a caramel glaze.
Feral hogs (AKA Wild boar)
Feral hogs destroy wetlands and ruin crops. Texas is a leader in letting people try to solve the issue, and wild boar is served around the world. I even ate it on Bonfire Night last year at a burger stand, very innovative. In Austin, chef Jesse Griffiths cooks up bone broths and lasagne using deer and wild boar, serving 300-400 boars a year.
As Douglas Paine, executive chef of The Dining Room at Juniper Bar and Restaurant in Vermont says: “It can be scaled up, if you think about any new market, truffles or wild fish, all those markets have been developed over time. I think invasives can find that same path.”
I’d love to see more invasive species used in innovative and delicious ways by chefs across the world.
About the Writer: Ahana Ogle is a Nutrition and Food Management with Foundation Year student that enjoys the vibrancy of London living, trying different cuisines, and visiting museums and art galleries.
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