A fish pond in southern China has gone viral after its owners revealed they feed their fish massive amounts of chilli peppers every day — claiming it makes the fish look better, grow faster, and even taste better.
The pond, located in Changsha, Hunan province, is co-managed by 40-year-old fish farmer Jiang Sheng and his former school classmate Kuang Ke. The pair say their 10-acre pond is home to more than 2,000 fish, all on an unusual diet.
According to Kuang, they feed the fish up to 5,000 kilograms of different chilli peppers daily, especially cone peppers and millet peppers.
“After eating them, the fish develop better body shapes, enhanced flavour, and shiny golden scales,” Kuang told local media.
At first, the fish were unsure about the spicy new feed. But Kuang said they’ve now developed a surprising preference.
“When we throw in both grass and chilli, they actually go for the chilli,” he said.
He also joked that just like humans drink water when they eat spicy food, fish “live in water, so they just drink more to counter it.”
Jiang explained that fish don’t have human-like taste buds and rely mostly on smell, so the spice doesn’t bother them.
He added that chilli peppers come with several benefits:
- Rich in vitamins
- Boost intestinal health
- Improve resistance to stress
- Help digestion and nutrient absorption
- Even repel parasites
According to Jiang, these advantages lead to more tender and flavourful meat compared to fish raised on regular feed.
The owners said the chilli peppers are collected for free from nearby farmers — usually unsold or close to spoiling — making the fiery feed cheaper than growing grass.
The pond has also become a hotspot for local fishing fans, with curious city residents now visiting to see the chilli-fed fish for themselves.
