Asian carp are finally ending up where they should be: on the dinner table.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will offer free Asian carp meals at nine locations across the state on Saturday.
Nutritionists have shown that Asian carp are versatile as a dish as well as nutritional. There will be tacos, hush puppies, and sliders served in a variety of ways.
The event will also highlight the effort by state officials to rid Illinois waterways of the invasive species.
IDNR will be joined by Sorce Freshwater Co. and the Midwest Fish Co-op, and support is provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development.
Cookouts are planned for three locations in Chicago, in Peoria, East Peoria, Springfield, Quincy, Carbondale and Carterville.
Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale will also have the opportunity to taste Asian carp selections at some of their dining halls.
