By: Jessica Hendrie
Have plans to travel down anytime soon? Consider this challenge! South Florida is such a fun place. We have the beaches, the nice restaurants, the best shopping, everything! But something that many don’t realize is that you can make a delicacy with the invasive species living on the land and in the water.
The fun part is acquiring it. You can fish off the bank or on a boat for invasive fish that you can only find right here in South Florida. A few that my family and I keep that are actually wonderful tasting fish although some may disagree, are mayan cichlids and the snakehead. There are also peacock bass which are non-native exotics, but not invasive. The snakeheads are invasive. Catch a few of these, they will eat anything!
Then you will want to find some public fruit trees. Public parks have plenty! Grab some mangoes, grab some coconuts, and whatever else you can find. These will make a wonderful side or even a yummy salsa to match your fish dinner. Maybe grab a coconut and use that for your drink. This is such a fun thing to do with your kids that isn’t necessarily the common south Florida fun. Guided iguana hunts are also an option if you want to add some more food to this South Florida flight. As crazy as it may sound, locals also love to cook the invasive Muscovy duck, too!
There are plenty of ways to make a fun day of creating your own dinner right here while helping protect our native species. My favorite one to cook is the snakehead. They are a flaky, white meat fish and taste similar to a bass or catfish! Fillet them as you would any other fish and season it. Put a little olive oil on it along with some lemon and pop it into the oven. Pair your mango with it and you have a South Florida delicacy that many will never even get the chance to try. And always remember, there are no trash fish.
Happy Fishing!