We’ve talked about Lab-grown Proteins and Veggie Proteins engineered to look and taste like Meat. We’ve also explored the potential of Insects to provide our protein in the future. But I’ve just come across an article by a well-known foodie who proposes we consider eating invasive species and nuisance critters…
This comprehensive Infographic from the Detroit Free Press
sums up the Asian Carp problem nicely…
Constantine Spyrou wants us all to try some protein sources we might never have considered before. And probably wouldn’t consider if he hadn’t brought them up. His theory is that we could kill two birds with one stone if we started eating invasive species that are endangering the environment and are ‘available’ in generous amounts. I don’t agree with all his suggestions – especially the venomous Lion Fish (currently invading the Florida reefs) – but I’ll leave you to decide for yourself what you think of the others…
Submitted for your approval…
…As Rod Serling used to say, to open each episode of The Twilight Zone. How appropriate it seems to me, for this post…
Mussels: We already eat Mussles, but Spyrou says we should be eating more. They are technically an invasive species and are plentiful, and they are already gathered and marketed through the food supply chain making them available almost everywhere in North America and Europe. They’re the least costly Shellfish we can buy, but are still a little pricey compared to other more familiar forms of protein. And many folks find them a nuisance to prepare and eat. That’s definitely going to be a hurdle to clear in making Mussles an every-day food.
Frogs’ Legs: They’re already considered a delicacy in some parts of the Western World but, like Mussles, they’re costly. Spyrou suggests we go out and collect our own from around the neighbourhood. I for one am not a big fan of skulking around in sloughs at night trying to catch Bullfrogs. And I’ve never liked the idea of having to kill something myself and ‘clean’ it. If they were plentiful in the supply chain and the price was not prohibitive, I would probably at least try Frogs’ Legs as an alternative to Chicken.
Wild Boar: Wild Boar is hunted in Europe and they claim the meat is enjoyed. I’ve tasted it. I found it a bit gamey and not too tender. I suppose you could save it for Stews and Pot Roasts where you could cook the living daylights out of it… But, having tried it, I can truthfully say I would not choose it over conventional Pork.
Squirrel: Here we go… Colonial Americans hunted Squirrels routinely for food. They even developed a type of gun called a Squirrel Rifle for the job. A regular .50 calibre musket ball would have blown a squirrel apart, so something smaller and less powerful was needed. At this point, please refer to my issues with Bullfrogs, stated above. I also have problems with the relatively small Meat yield you get from something the size of a squirrel. You’d have to ‘bag’ and clean half a dozen of the little devils to make a meal for a family of four. And about all Squirrels are good for is Stew – though I suppose you could save out the legs for use on their own, like the Frogs’.
Asian Carp: We’ve been hearing how these seemingly indestructible sluggards are invading our fresh water systems for the past decade. They can grow to 50 lb. / 23 kg and suck up all the fish food in the waters around them, starving other species out. They have no natural predators. Well… For one thing, if other fish aren’t interested in eating young Asian Carp, that’s a signal to me that ‘they ain’t that good eatin’. I also have issues with Carp in particular because they’re bottom feeders. The Provincial Government publishes an annual directory of all the fishing lakes and rivers in its jurisdiction, listing all the fish commonly found in them, and providing guidelines about the maximum amount one should eat of each species. All lakes and streams are polluted to some degree or another, now, and it’s just a matter of how bad the pollution is.
My overall take…
I don’t consider it wise, for safety reasons, to go out and harvest urban wildlife of any kind for human consumption. Too much pollution. And, if the Provincial (like a U.S. State) government is warning sport fishers to limit their consumption of virtually all species of indigenous Fish due to pollution, I’m not going to risk that, either.
Pigeons and Blacktailed Gulls are as much of a nuisance as Squirrels, maybe worse. Would Spyrou suggest we ‘harvest’ them, too? Again, I have strong reservations about where they come from and what they eat.
In short, Spyrou’s proposal to start catching and eating species that are a nuisance or are harming the environment hits a wall on two accounts. Wild critters are probably not safe to eat regularly. And left to catch and ‘clean’ them ourselves, I suspect most urban consumers would not go for the idea due to the lack of convenience.
Of course, there’s also the sidebar issue that many nuisance species already have a ‘bad’ reputation which I think would be difficult to overcome. A dear friend of mine calls Gulls, which mob Fast Food parking lots and landfills looking for garbage to eat, ‘Sky Rats’. Likewise, Pigeons are ‘Sh*t Hawks’. No way he’s going to start eating them.
Sure. We could ‘domesticate’ these species and start ‘farming’ them like we do desirable species of Fish and Shellfish. But that wouldn’t do the environment any good. Again, Spyrou’s noble idea falls flat. Too bad.
~ Maggie J.