The Asian Carp is headed for the Great Lakes. The state of Illinois is considering closing locks and dams to keep these bottom feeders out of the Great Lakes. These fish escaped from southern fish hatcheries and catfish ponds in the 70’s and have been making their way north ever since. The Asian carp are fast breeders and can eat several times their body weight a day in vegetation and plankton. This fish can reach a hundred pounds.

It’s been estimates that there are millions of pounds of harvestable carp in the Illinois River. It’s been suggested that instead of trying different methods to eradicate the species that we should be eating it!

The carp is a staple in many cuisines. The Chinese, Vietnamese and Polish people use the meat on a daily basis.

Vietnamese carp is cooked with coconut milk, lemongrass and chilis. Polish fare includes soaking it in milk and onions. You can even find it smoked or pickled, or fried.

The Schafer Fishery processes 12 million pounds of carp a year. Most of that meat is shipped overseas and the rest is sent to ethnic markets in Los Angeles, New York & Chicago.

While many of us think carp is inedible, we’ve been proven wrong. Apparently the fish has a mild taste, it’s just ‘very’ bony.