Thanks Don Noel for this flavorful article!

http://nyti.ms/qCUcl3

If someone is willing to serve these, I'll be willing to eat them but probably not until February.
http://www.lionfishhunter.com/Lionfish%20Recipes.html

Thanks, MilwaukeeMike. I'd thought to go look for recipes, but was away from home. Have you tried any of those? Any recommendations?
and . . . does anyone know if our lionfish/our area have the mentioned toxin? "ciguatoxin, which causes vomiting and neurological symptoms, so they cannot be taken from water where the microbe that produces the toxin is found."
. . . or any way to test?

We had lion fish served at Rainbow Tree, and I can assure you they were delicious. We assumed they were being served all over Treasure Beach. Try them. You will love them.

I've eaten lion fish at Striky T's in Billy's Bay and it was delicious. I know of many folks in TB who have eaten it and have enjoyed it.

So how do they guarantee there isn't that dreadful-sounding ciguatoxin in the fish? HOW? I'd like to be pretty reassured on that count.

From what I understand, there are about 300-400 species of fish that could give you ciguatera fish poisoning. These include barracuda, king mackerel, and various types of grouper and snapper. I also understand the location of where the fish is caught is more important than the type of fish, though large reef fish tend to be the most vulnerable. There have been cases of ciguatera in lion fish in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but I have not yet heard of it in Jamaica--Treasure Beach in particular. The symptoms can be nasty, but they start to appear from 10 minutes to 24 hours after you eat an infected fish, not days or weeks later.

As I do not profess to be a doctor (or even any sort of fish expert), I would like to be corrected if what I am saying is incorrect.

Until then, I will continue to eat lion fish. As the others have said, I also find it delicious.

The Lion Fish at Striky T's in Billy's Bay was terrific. Learning to handle, cook, and eat it will be the best control.

We were fortunate to have eaten Lion Fish at Striky T's last season in a variety of ways - we really liked the coconut Lion Fish, but then the brown stew, steamed and fried was pretty good too. Also, there was Lion Fish on the menu at Frenchman's Reef - and it was delicious as well. I say eat up and bon appetit!

Just ate some about an hour ago. It was soooo tender and tasty. I had it at my friend's house and he steamed it.

Does lion fish have to be specially ordered in advance to get it at Rainbow Tree.

Lion fish just showed up here in our water in Southwest Florida for the first time.ugly looking creatures can't believe you all are eating them.didn't think they were for human consumption.

Sign of the times Florida. I don't know if you are a TB native, but I remember when fishermen seperated their catch into either quality or trash fish. Those days are gone. No such thing anymore.

But still...no answer to my question: how can one know - how can the fishermen know, if that ciguatera is in a given lion fish, or a group of them, or has gotten into the TB area? Nice to hear from people who have eaten them and find them delicious, but can anyone tell HOW they determine if the fish is ok? Sure would not like to find out a fish isn't ok AFTER eating one.

Along the beaches of New England, for instance, authorities keep an eye out for red tide, and ban clamming, etc. when the red tide is in.

Oh yes, I'm from the area my father was a great fisherman there. Very familar with the term quality ,common and trash was it.

It's interesting what fish people eat: eel is a delicacy in some parts of the world; conch is widely eaten in the Bahamas but was shunned by Jamaicans for a long time. The Chilean Sea Bass was renamed to make the fish more marketable because Patagonian toothfish didn't sound good enough. I have yet to see people eat sushi in Treasure Beach, but it's served in Kingston restaurants.

How do you know if the GROUPER you eat is infected BEFORE you eat it? (My current source of okay or not is the local fishermen.) I truly wish a physician or marine biologist would contribute to this string because I am not an expert on fish or diseases one can get from them.

Finally, to Potential Renter, if you want lion fish when at Rainbow Tree, all you need do is ask for it. No special advance order is necessary; if it's available and you want it, you'll gladly have it served to you.

I have never stayed in a villa in TB or anywhere else. Could someone explain how the food works in a villa. Do you get any food and drink you want in the rental price.

Conquering The Lionfish:

Gleaner LINK:
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110716/lead/lead3.html

The villa we stay in asks for a certain amount of money upfront for the food and drink "kitty". It is pays for our first few days of food, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Then the cook asks us for more money so she can buy more.

We send money in advance for food and drink at Rainbow Tree. They suggest an allowance amount per person for the full week so that's what we send. Our Red Stripes are cold and waiting when we arrive. They serve us three meals a day most of the time and we've always gotten a refund of unspent money before we leave. I cannot say enough good things about this way of paying for really excellent food and whatever we plan to drink. When we're there we don't have to think about anything.

Really like the allowance thing especially if you always get a refund. I am annoyed at paying for each little thing we eat and drink where we stay. It reminds me of a cruise ship where this is extra and that is extra and by the time you get your bill you are in total shock.

When we stayed at a villa, we had the choice if we wanted to go out to eat, cook for ourselves or have the caretaker cook for us. When we did choose to enjoy her home cooking, we would give her the money needed to buy the supplies and she would return with the supplies and change. There was a charge for her time in cooking for us, which we paid directly to her on a per person basis.

We bought our own drinks and snacks from local stores to keep in the fridge.

I have heard about other villas charging guests for each drink and no outside beverages and food being able to be brought in. Something to look into before you book. It could add up quick.

You will find most villa rentals give you a cost estimate for food and beverages and either collect up front or at the end of your stay with your fridge being pre-stocked with all your favorites.

Jeannie, what you report is not the norm and it sounds like you got a bad deal. Rebecca is correct. I have never had a problem showing up with food and drink if I find something when I'm out on the road. I would also question the false economy in having someone go out and shop for each meal. If you did this in your own home your food budget would go way up because that's not an efficient way to shop. You go to one or more stores and buy whatever you can for a week or more and fill in the voids with fresh fruit and veggies. No wonder the villa experience was not a good one for you.

Actually, I know of places which work like what Jeannieb mentioned. This is not a bad deal, just different. If the cost for a cook is not included in the overall cost for the rental of the accommodations many places will offer cooking services for a fee. This is usually a per person rate and may or may not include the cost of the food.