Piranhas are very rampant in the lakes of Amazon and many people and adventurer likes to eat piranha despite its killer appetite towards any living creatures. Does Piranhas is healty to eat? That is something we have to know.

How dangerous are Piranhas to humans?

Fish expert, Dr. Axelrod, once stated on network television that piranhas are not dangerous to people. Later he was dared to prove it, and prove it he did. He waded into piranha infested waters wearing only swim trunks. Placing a large piece of meat on a fishhook, he dangled it in the water and waited to see what happened. The piranha tore into the meat but not Dr.Axelrod. Although I wouldn't recommend reaching in the tank to pet your piranha, as long as they are well fed they aren't likely to bite you.

Are Piranhas legal?

Even though piranhas are not endangering humans, they do present a danger to native fish. For that reason many states restrict importing, breeding, or even keeping them in an aquarium. Why? Because people have and will dump fish they don't want into rivers or lakes. A piranha tossed into river or lake will kill the fish that are supposed to live there, thus damaging the ecology.

Piranhas are not the most ideal aquarium fish. You can't keep them with other fish, because they would eat them. Unless your tank is bare, you won't see them out and about often, because they are rather skittish and hide a good deal of the time. Feeding time is when you will see the most action, and even then they may wait for you to leave the room before they feed.

If you plan to keep piranha study what they need to stay healthy. They are carnivores that prefer live food. Piranhas need a quiet habitat with places to hide, and should not be kept with other fish. Because of the danger they present to local habitats, piranhas are not legal in most of the southern states. Northern states generally allow them because they cannot survive winters in the wild.

So if you are planning to go to the amazon and experience the taste of Piranha, where many people say its delicious then try these recipes contributed from Cooking Piranha Info furnished by Larry M. Lynch.

Prepare your fish native style, with these Brazilian recipes.

Cachama, a piranha-related farm-raised species, is often used where piranha are not locally available. Cachama (in Spanish) and tambaqui or pacu (in Brazil) also originate in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins.

Two cachama species cultivated commercially in Central and South America are the white one (Piaractus brachypomus) and the black one (Colossoma macropomum).

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Piranha in Tomato Sauce

Piranha, whole, cleaned and scaled

4 firm, ripe tomatoes

1 finely chopped medium-sized onion

2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley

½ cup of water

2 tablespoons of margarine

salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut tomato into small cubes. Put half the tomatoes and onion into a large frying pan, place the cleaned piranha on top then cover it with the rest of the tomato, onion and parsley. Add the salt and pepper.

Add half of the water and cook covered over a low fire for about 20 minutes or until the fish can be easily pierced with a fork.

Carefully remove the piranha from the pan and place on a warm serving dish. Reduce the mixture in the frying pan for an additional 5 minutes until thickened and pour over the piranha.

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Brazilian Piranha Soup

Piranha, whole fish or heads

green vegetables in season or to taste

carrots, peeled and sliced or diced

yams, peeled and cut up

onions, whole small or quartered

salt and pepper to taste

1 or 2 small chiles to spice things up

a bit small ginger root, coarsely chopped

1 or 2 sliced or wedged lemons or limes

Boil whole fish in vegetable stock with spices and pieces of ginger. Add fresh cut up vegetables. Remove bones and larger fins from the fish. Slice lemon or lime as garnish. Remember, the head is an aphrodisiac and is often served separately. The soup can also be made entirely from piranha heads if desired.

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Fried Piranha

A medium-sized whole piranha for each serving

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper

sprig of fresh parsley

whole lemon or lime

1 or 2 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced

small quantity of seasoned flour or corn meal

Clean and scale the fish thoroughly. Make a series of diagonal cuts along both sides of the fish from top to belly. Crush the garlic cloves and mix with the salt and a little pepper. Rub this mixture into the cuts along the sides of the fish. Wrap with a damp banana leaf (or a moistened paper towel). Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Some Colombian cooks leave refrigerated overnight. Heat some fresh cooking oil to a high temperature in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the marinated fish lightly with seasoned flour or corn meal. Fry golden brown on each side, turning the fish carefully after browning.

Serve hot garnished with sliced tomato and fresh lemon or lime juice squeezed over the fish.

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Grilling Piranha Amazon Style

Grilling fresh-caught fish on an open fire is always a tasty way to enjoy a fresh catch. Use a whole cleaned and scaled fish, rub it lightly with oil, season it with salt and pepper or other available spices, then place it on a grill, about 4 - 6 inches from the heat. In the wild you can use a framework of small twigs and shaved saplings to position the fish over the fire.

Cover the fish with a banana leaf (or foil), and cook until the fish is brown on the underside, approximately 6 - 8 minutes. Turn the fish carefully and continue until the flesh near the bone is (check with the tip of a small knife or long fork), in approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Smaller fish usually work best using this method, especially in the jungle.