Iguana ''Iguana'' (, ) is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his ...

meat has historically been important in the culinary traditions of Mexico and Central America; particularly in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán and

Colima Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima i ...

. In Fray Sahagún's history of

colonial Mexico Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 ...

, he mentions the iguana as a traditional food throughout Western Mexico and describes it as good to eat when properly prepared. Iguana meat is legal in the United States of America and several other countries, however importation is restricted due to

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

conventions. There has been a marked preference for the green iguana (''Iguana iguana'') over the

black iguana ''Ctenosaura similis'', commonly known as the black iguanaLiner, Ernest A. and Gustavo Cass-Andreu. (2008). ''Standard Spanish, English and Scientific Names of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Mexico (2nd. ed.).'' Herpetological Circular No. 38. So ...

(''Ctenosaura pectinata'') in the region, though both are eaten. Common recipes for the iguana include stews (''guisado''),

pozole Pozole (; from nah, pozoll, meaning ''cacahuazintle'', a variety of corn or maize) is a traditional soup or stew from Mexican cuisine. It is made from hominy with meat (typically pork, but possibly chicken), and can be seasoned and garnished w ...

birria Birria () \ ˈbir-ē-ˌä \is a Mexican dish from the state of Jalisco. The dish is a meat stew or soup traditionally made from goat meat, but occasionally made from beef, lamb, mutton or chicken. The meat is marinated in an adobo made of vi ...

, roasted in

taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of fillin ...

s and

flauta A taquito (, Spanish for "small taco"), tacos dorados,rolled taco, or flauta (, Spanish for "flute") is a Mexican food dish that typically consists of a small rolled-up tortilla that contains filling, including beef, cheese or chicken.Castro, ...

s. People in parts of South Florida have started cooking iguana meat after the Florida Wildlife Agency encouraged residents to kill green iguanas on their own property. In

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, where iguanas are an invasive species, there have been efforts to promote iguana consumption.

References

Notes Bibliography *Martinez Campos, Gabriel - ''Recetario Colimense de la iguana'' - Mexico (2004) Conaculta *Sahagún, Br. Bernardino de - ''Historia General de las cosas de la Nueva España'' - Mexico (1975) Ed Porrúa *Fisher, Eliza - "Customs and Border Protection Confiscates Iguana Meat Near San Diego" - Huffington Post, 08/15/2011 {{Meat, state=expanded Iguanidae Meat by animal Central American cuisine Mexican cuisine Cuisine of the Southern United States