A Florida man has gone viral after sharing his recipe for green iguanas, an invasive species causing damage across the state, encouraging residents to turn the pest into a meal.During the recent cold snap, the reptiles were stunned by the cold, causing many trees to fall.
Some locals began collecting them for meat. While many stick to dishes like iguana tacos, one man, Ryan, decided to cook his catch using fritters.
“It looks good to me,” he told viewers in a video posted online.The video, shared by Complex, shows Ryan preparing iguana meat in a Waffle House parking lot. “I marinated these iguana legs for 24 hours in some yogurt, pickle juice, and some spices,” he explained of his marinade.
At one point, a Waffle House employee came outside to see what he was doing and was shocked. He asked if Ryan would really eat the dish.
The green iguana is a nuisance in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notes that they cause damage to plants and can destroy docks, canal banks and other infrastructure through potholes. They are herbivores, but researchers have found tree snail remains in the stomachs of some green iguanas, suggesting they may also threaten endangered native species.
Humans can also face health risks, as green iguanas can transmit salmonella to people who come into contact with contaminated water or surfaces.Officials often encourage the consumption of invasive species as a way to control their numbers while providing a cost-effective food source. Ryan’s cooking experiment illustrates this approach. “This is a great way to help eliminate invasive populations while reducing your grocery bill,” experts say. Similar strategies are being used with other invasive species, such as the Himalayan blackberry in the Pacific Northwest.
