Here’s another way to look at eating sustainably: Consume invasive species.

Chef Mark Noguchi of Pili Hawaii will be at the conference demonstrating a recipe for Samoan crab, which is plentiful in the Heeia ahupuaa from which he sources much of his ingredients.

“We live in a society in which we can get whatever we want whenever we want,” he said. “But cooking invasive species is cooking responsibly.”

And some of those products are mighty tasty.

“Everyone wants king crab or white crab, but Samoan crab is fat, young and has lots of flavor,” he said.

The chef will steam the crab upside down to capture all the juices in the shell, then  create a crab rice pilaf using jasmine or basmati rice, cucumber and tomatoes.

Samoan crab is aggressive and grows fast, which enables it to push out other species, Noguchi said. It survives islandwide in brackish water and in estuaries.

Noguchi’s crab comes from the fishpond being restored by Paepae o He‘eia, an organization he often partners with on sustainability projects. Paepae sells Samoan crab to restaurants such as Prima in Kailua, where it is a popular menu item.

“It’s not easy to get Samoan crab in the market, but the supply is great,” he said. “A lot of local people catch it themselves.”

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Visit www.pilihawaii.com.