When you’re ready to dig in some local grub on this blessed island, you must try the lionfish. It’s a delicious, white flaky fish that’s somewhere between a thin grouper fillet and mahi mahi– it’ll melt in your mouth.
But taste isn’t the only reason to order it.
Dig in and Help the Environment
When you eat lionfish, you’re not just satisfying your taste buds, you’re also helping the local marine ecosystem. Here’s why: lionfish are predatory and gobble up the juvenile fish that are needed to keep the reefs healthy and flourishing.
But don’t go hatin’. There’s a back story: Lionfish are actually native to the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea. As you can see, they’re a long way from home. They’re considered an invasive species in the waters of the Western Atlantic Basin, which includes the Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
According to lionfish.co, intentional and unintentional releases from home aquariums is what has caused them to wander, er, swim far from their native ocean. So, if you think about it, it’s not really their fault: they’ve been displaced. What’s a fish to do but to keep on aswimmin’?
You Think You Eat a Lot?
These dudes can put it away. In fact, lionfish can eat prey just over ½ its own body. That’s a lot. They can gobble up any size of unsuspecting fishy, just as long as they can get their kisser around it.
And here’s a peculiar fact: Controlled studies have shown that a lionfish can go three months (or longer) without eating and only lose 10% of their body mass.
But speaking of eating, here’s a mouthwatering lionfish recipe that you can try at home yourself.
(Lionfish, photo by: instagram.com/00kai.)
Bahamian Style Pan Fried Lionfish
- Coat fillets in flour, salt & pepper to taste
- Mix up an island inspired marinade of lime juice, sour orange juice, and garlic
- Drizzle over fillets
- Pan fry in oil until golden brown
- Serve over rice with lime wedge garnish
Eat as much as you want and lose the guilt. You’re helping preserve the reefs in the Caribbean and Mexico. If you’re craving a trip to Curacao (where you can dive into these lionfpan-fried babies), call our Beachologists at 1-800-915-3162 and they’ll set you up ASAP.
If you want to check out our other all-inclusive vacation packages to the
Caribbean and Mexico, visit our site. Life on the beach is a banquet. Dig in.
