From the Producers of “Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen” Comes James Beard Award Nominee Yia Vang Cooking Invasive Species as a Delicacy

DENVER – Chef Yia Vang is ready to chase, harvest, cook and eat all the crazy creatures that have overstayed their welcome in the Outdoor Channel new original series Feral continuing Monday nights during the "Taste of the Wild” block at 9 p.m. ET.

Feral highlights the wilderness adventure, thrill of the chase and exploration of less-traditionally hunted species with a fun host and engaging guests who are in search of unique and wonderful food prepared by Vang, a James Beard Award nominee and master chef.

A trained chef, avid traveler, angler and hunter, Vang is always up for a culinary challenge. He has been named Best Chef in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) multiple times and has been featured on CNN’s United Shades of America, Good Morning America, in the pages of National Geographic and graced the cover of the May 2020 issue of Bon Appetit.

Each 30-minute episode will feature Vang arriving in a new location, identifying an invasive species and coming up with a plan for catching and cooking it. Often with the help of a local expert who will guide him on his quest – and bear witness to his mistakes – Vang will do whatever it takes to create an amazing and unusual meal by the end of every episode.

Some examples of the invasive culinary delicacies Vang will prepare on the show include:

• Common Carp: Originally introduced by U.S. Fish & Wildlife as the “Ultimate Game Fish,” the Common Carp is wreaking havoc on rivers and lakes across the country and now threatens Vang’s beloved Twin Cities.
• Feral Hogs: Once a phenomenon in the southern states, wild pigs are taking over much of rural America, destroying crops, fouling watersheds, ruining forests – and becoming the best bacon you’ll ever eat.
• Iguana: The quintessential invasive species that nobody really eats – until now. The green iguanas cause damage to infrastructure by digging burrows that erode and collapse sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, berms and canal banks.
• Burmese Python: These enormous snakes were bought as pets, then released into the wild when they outgrew their cages. With females laying 100 eggs at a time, their numbers have exploded throughout Florida and other parts of the south. But how do they taste?
• Lionfish: Found in coastal Atlantic waters from Florida to Long Island, these invasive fish are resistant to predators and gobble up native fish at astonishing rates. Vang will have his hands full with these spiny interlopers.

The Outdoor Channel original series Feral airs during Monday nights “Taste of the Wild” programming block at 9 p.m. ET.

About Yia Vang: One of seven siblings, Chef Yia Vang was born in a Thai refugee camp where he lived until his family resettled in central Wisconsin. A trained chef who started his career working as a dishwasher, Yia uses food to tell a story and believes that every dish has a narrative. Through sourcing what’s in season and combining local traditions with those from his family and cultural traditions, the former “Iron Chef” participant brings Hmong flavors to American palates and invites people to change how they think about food by considering the influences in each bite. His new restaurant concept Vinai, slated to open in 2023 in Northeast Minneapolis, will celebrate his parents’ legacy and tell his family’s story through food.

About Outdoor Channel: Outdoor Channel has been taking viewers across America and around the world on unparalleled adventures since 1993. Dedicated to the outdoor lifestyle and conservation, the independent cable network is a division of Outdoor Sportsman Group and provides a complete spectrum of riveting hunting, fishing, shooting and adventure entertainment. Outdoor Channel is the largest outdoor TV footprint in the country and is available in more than 50 countries internationally. Outdoor Channel can be viewed in HD and is accessible by broadband and mobile platforms. For program times and other information, visit www.outdoorchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. #MyOutdoorTV

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