A Caribbean restaurant in Austin, Texas, that prioritizes sustainability is helping the state fight an invasive species that has grown nearly out of control in the area.
Canje is known for its delicious dishes and Caribbean cuisine, and its executive sous chef has shared with Texas Standard how the restaurant comes across some of its ingredients. In particular, Erik Trotman spoke about the ingredients for Canje's wild boar pepper pot.
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the state has an estimated 2.6 million wild pigs, a species categorized as one of the top 100 invasive species globally. Like all invasive species, wild pigs can threaten the native ecosystems they enter.
These animals tend to cause the most damage through their rooting, as turning over the soil with their digging alters the soil chemistry. This new chemistry can allow invasive plant species to spring up, and those can choke out native plants, including human food sources.
It isn't only the soil damaged by wild pigs, either. These animals are known for destroying agriculture, whether through consuming vegetables they find in fields or simply trampling crops, which can lead to food shortages in grocery stores.
However, Trotman shared that the restaurant makes an effort to use one to two whole wild boars each week in its meals, which reduces the wild pig population in Texas, even if just by a bit, and results in less damage done to the soil and crops.
Canje incorporates sustainability in other ways as well. One significant way it's made the restaurant more sustainable is by using a farm-to-table model that utilizes local farmers.
That cuts out wholesalers, meaning food doesn't travel as far to its destination, reducing harmful vehicle pollution and making the air cleaner, while also supporting local businesses.
Canje also cuts down on food waste by trying to use every last bit of food in its kitchen, even if it calls for coming up with something inventive, like making its own smoked guava vinegar.
As Trotman told Texas Standard, "it's mind-blowing to see what you can do with one thing."
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