- Fish pond in Hunan feeds 5,000 kg of chilies daily to enhance fish quality
- Owners claim chilies improve fish color, flavor, and give scales a golden sheen
- Fish consume chilies despite initial reluctance due to their smell-based taste sense
A fish pond in Changsha, Hunan province, has gone viral after people found out that the fish are fed something unusual, 5,000 kilos of chilli peppers every day. The owners say this spicy routine makes the fish look brighter and taste better. The story has captured attention across China because it connects perfectly with Hunan's strong love for spicy food, reported South China Morning Post.
This 10-acre pond is managed by 40-year-old fish farmer Jiang Sheng and his former schoolmate, Kuang. Together, they raise over 2,000 fish and feed them a mixed diet of various chillies. Kuang explains that sometimes they feed up to 5,000 kilograms of chillies a day.
They use the same chillies commonly eaten by humans, such as cone peppers and millet peppers. He stated that after eating these chillies, the fish's bodies look more attractive, their flavor improves, and their scales take on a golden sheen.
According to Kuang, the fish were initially reluctant to eat chillies, but after a while, they began choosing chillies even when grass was present. He explained that just as humans drink water after eating spicy food, fish live in water, so they simply need to consume a little more water to reduce the spiciness.
Jiang mentioned that fish don't have taste buds like humans. They mostly judge food by smell, so the pungency of chillies doesn't bother them. Jiang explains that chillies are rich in vitamins, which are just as nutritious for fish as aquatic plants.
He mentioned that feeding chillies helps keep fish intestines healthy and increases their stress tolerance. Kuang said that the capsaicin in chillies speeds up fish digestion and helps them absorb nutrients better, leading to faster growth. It also keeps parasites away, preventing them from easily attaching to their bodies. This is why the meat of chili-fed fish is softer and tastier than that of fish fed a normal diet.
The chillies added to the pond are obtained free of charge from local farmers. These chillies are often unsold or are close to spoiling, so this method is much more economical than growing and harvesting grass. This unique method of feeding chillies to the fish has now made the pond a must-see. Fish enthusiasts from nearby areas and visitors from other cities are coming to see these special chili-fed fish, increasing the pond's popularity.
