NEED TO KNOW
- South Florida has been experiencing unexpectedly frigid temperatures, causing some iguanas to become cold-stunned and fall out of trees
- Iguana trapper Ryan Izquierdo brought in a few reptiles to Bucks Coal Fired, where they collaborated on an iguana pizza
- He tells PEOPLE for the now-famed dish that, they “used the legs and the tail”
A new type of pizza is going viral thanks to unexpected frigid temperatures in Florida.
The iguana pizza is a new delicacy at Bucks Coal Fired in North Palm Beach, Fla. The eatery announced on Monday, Feb. 2, that it will be selling an item named “The Everglades,” with the star ingredient being iguana.
The new menu item is a result of reptiles becoming cold-stunned amid the recent cold snap in the state. The winter weather has caused iguanas to fall from trees, local trapper Ryan Izquierdo tells PEOPLE.
He explains that the cold-blooded reptiles “enter a state of paralysis where their muscles stop working, their body shuts down, and their heart rate slows down to survive.” This causes the iguanas that are holding on to a “comfortable spot” in a tree to lose their grip, and they “just end up falling from the trees.”
Ryan Izquierdo
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) held a collection period for residents to turn in the reptiles found on public and private property across South Florida.
Meanwhile, Izquierdo has been hunting iguanas in recent days and collected more than 90 on Jan. 30.
“We were able to do good work and remove the iguanas and educate people, and it was just a great time,” Izquierdo told CBS News.
He’s documented his work on social media with a joint Instagram post with Bucks Coal Fired, promoting the new pizza.
He exclusively tells PEOPLE that before he went to the eatery, he cleaned iguanas, explaining they
“used the legs and the tail for the pizza.” Once there, he “sanitized the meat, everything was good to go, and we just put the pizza together.”
In the video, Izquierdo stands outside the restaurant with three iguanas in his arms. The video then cuts to a Bucks Coal Fired employee sharing how he’s making the pizza, which includes olive oil, parmesan, ranch, bacon, venison and the key ingredient: iguana. As he prepared to put it in the oven, he said, “That s— looks crazy.”
Ryan Izquierdo
Once it was time to grab a slice, Izquierdo said, “Are we really doing this?” and the restaurant employee replied, “You’re doing this.”
He took a big bite and called it “unbelievable.” He said, “The iguana meat really tastes like frog leg. It’s a little bit sweet, I can’t really describe it.”
Izquierdo also tells PEOPLE he made an iguana omelette, calling the dish “amazing.”
“People in the comments are so grossed out,” he acknowledges, but adds, “I’m like, ‘It literally tastes like legitimate chicken eggs.'”
He detailed his breakfast dish, which included bacon, sauteed onions, peppers, and Mexican cheese, “was bomb.”
As for any other pizza collaborations, Izquierdo says that, because people “absolutely freaked out,” it’s “safe to say” he and Bucks Coal Fired have “more pizza collabs on the way.”
Ryan Izquierdo
PEOPLE reached out to Bucks Coal Fired for comment.
Read the full article here
