Resources & Recipes
By Amy Nelson
Film/Video
FORAGER (a film by Renee Fischer featuring Chef Chris Amendola)
View the film via: MPT Presents | Forager | PBS
Blind Sushi (a film by Eric Heimbold featuring Chef Bun Lai and blind writer, Ryan Knighton)
View the film on the Miya’s website
Edible Invasive Species: Asian Carp (Chef Philippe Parola prepared and cooks an Asian Carp
Organizations/Websites/Social Media
Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
National (U.S.) Invasive Species Center
Books by Joe Roman
Publications
Frazer, T. K., Jacoby, C. A., Edwards, M. A., Barry, S. C., & Manfrino, C. M. (2012). Coping with the Lionfish Invasion: Can Targeted Removals Yield Beneficial Effects? Reviews in Fisheries Science, 20(4), 185–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641262.2012.700655
Gibbons, E. (1962). Stalking the wild asparagus. Chambersburg: Alan C. Hood.
Lai, B. (2013). How (and why) to eat invasive species. Scientific American, 309(3), 40–43.
Landers, J. (2012). Eating aliens: One man’s adventures hunting invasive animal species. North Adams: Storey Publishing.
Nuñez, M.A., Kuebbing, S., Dimarco, R.D. and Simberloff, D. (2012), Invasive Species: to eat or not to eat, that is the question. Conservation Letters, 5: 334-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2012.00250.x
Varble, S., & Secchi, S. (2013). Human consumption as an invasive species management strategy. A preliminary assessment of the marketing potential of invasive Asian carp in the US. Appetite, 65, 58–67.
News Articles
8 Invasive Species You Can Eat (Field & Stream, August 2025)
Chefs urge people to catch and eat destructive invasive species: ‘This looks so good’ (MSN, December 2025)
How can we help lessen the impacts of invasive animals? By eating them, according to foodie activists. (National Wildlife Federation Magazine, December 2025)
Python pie, anyone? Can we solve Florida’s invasive animals issue by eating them? (USA Today, December 2025)
Pass the Thanksgiving kudzu: Expert on edible invasive species (Virginia Tech News, November 2024)
“If you can’t beat them, eat them. Why foraging for invasive foods is good for you.” (Boston Globe, July 2024)
Snails with a Side of Knotweed, Anyone? Biologist Wants You to Eat Invasive Animals and Plants (Daily Mail, July 2024)
Can we really eliminate invasive species by eating them? (Salon, July 2023)
What’s on the menu for this Louisiana chef? Carp, nutria, and more invasive species (The Advocate October 2023)
Recipes
To whet your appetite, we share just a few recipes featuring some well-known edible invasive species. For a more complete menu of offerings, be sure to check out the websites and cookbooks listed below. There are loads of dishes to discover!
Copi Firehouse Fish Burger (by Firefighter Edward Hanson and shared on choosecopi.com)
Green Crab Bisque (created by Josh Berman of Little Fish, RI and shared on greencrab.org)
Garlic Mustard Pesto (created by Chef Wyatt Gaus of Herbally Wonderful Culinary)
Ferguson, T., & Akins, L. (2010). The lionfish cookbook. Key Largo: REEF Environmental Education Foundation.
Duncan, Corrine M., co-created with Melanie Gisler and Tamara S. Mullin (2014). They’re Cooked: Recipes to Combat Invasive Species: Institute for Applied Ecology.
Choosecopi.com
Greencrab.org
Eattheinvaders.org
