From the Producers of “Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen” Comes James Beard Award Nominee Yia Vang Cooking Invasive Species as a Delicacy
mbrace the wild as Chef Yia Vang sets off on a mission to pursue, gather, prepare, and devour invasive species in Outdoor Channel’s unique series, Feral, premiering season two on Monday, December 4 at 9 p.m. ET.
Feral highlights the wilderness adventure, thrill of the chase and exploration of less-traditional hunted species with a fun host and engaging guests that are in search of unique and wonderful food prepared by Vang, a James Beard Award nominee and master chef.
“We’re thrilled to welcome viewers back for a second season of ‘Feral’ on Outdoor Channel. Our adventurous host, Chef Yia Vang, will continue his journey, chasing and cooking wild species that have become too prevalent. This unique culinary expedition promises to challenge and engage our audience, offering an edgy and entertaining experience not found anywhere else,” said Tim Cremin, Head of Programming for Outdoor Sportsman Group.
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, 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.
“I enjoy creating amazing foods from animals that aren’t on everyone’s list – but they should be because they are delicious,” shared Chef Vang. “One of my favorite episodes in season two is the Copi-Asian Carp show. Not only was it exciting to catch them, but also, I have a great way to prepare them that I’ll show on the episode where you don’t even know you are eating carp.”
Some examples of the invasive culinary delicacies Vang will prepare on the show include:
- Copi/ Asian Carp: Considered a nuisance and trash fish, the Asian carp has overtaken the Illinois River’s biomass and now outcompetes native species. Lucky for Yia, fishermen Clint Carter and Dave Buchanan have devised an ingenious way to rebrand this delicious fish by calling it Copi.
- Squirrel: When Yia receives an offer to join Ryan “Backwoods” Dodd and his mentor, Barry Carter, on a squirrel hunt, he can’t resist. Squirrel is hugely popular in the Hmong community and was a family favorite in the Vang household when Yia was growing up.
- Beaver: Described as a keystone species, beavers heavily influence their environment. But when the population moves into the wrong properties, it’s up to Wisconsin state trapping educator Jim Binder to help landowners remove these destructive pests.
- Canada Goose: The Canada Goose was once a federally endangered species but through years of protection the population has exploded. Unfortunately, they are now doing millions of dollars a year in damages to farms and city parks.
The Outdoor Channel original series Feral will air 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.
