Environmental groups are urging chefs in Greece to begin serving venomous lionfish, which is now widely found in Greek waters as they say it’s safe to eat once its fins are removed, according to greekcitytimes.com.
The lionfish made its way from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal and over the past few years, it has been widely spotted in Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, and Lebanon.
Also known as the devil firefish, it is said to be carnivorous and poisonous and can kill and eat a big number of native fish in the rocky areas of the Mediterranean Sea. It also endangers people: Its poisonous spikes cause pain, swelling, inflammation, and blisters if they puncture the skin.
The aggressive species prey on native fish and can reproduce at a sharp rate.
Nevertheless, according to a report in The Telegraph, environmental groups in Greece and Cyprus are now encouraging divers to catch them and sell or give them to restaurants. The conservationists claim that experts insist that fishermen and chefs, equipped with gloves and knives, can be trained to safely remove them.
According to the conservation groups, it may be grilled, deep-fried, put in a burger or even served up as ceviche and sashimi.
“It’s very tasty and it’s easy to cook,” Anni Mitropoulou, the chief of the Cyclades Preservation Fund, which is hoping to educate fishermen, divers, chefs and tourists in the Greek islands to start viewing the species as edible told The Telegraph.
At an event organized on the island of Santorini last month, two well-known Greek chefs were challenged to come up with lionfish dishes.
The Cyclades Preservation Fund is working on an e-book of lionfish recipes, in which the alien species will be matched with typically Greek ingredients.
Read the full article at greekcitytimes.com
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
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