Can you eat koi fish? This question is frequently asked in the several forums. Recently, one of my close friends also asked me about it. This is why I thought I should write something about this and clear all the doubts that we have in our mind.
To begin with, people have been keeping koi fish in their homes for ages since it is widely seeen as a symbol og good luck. Koi fish are colorful varieties of the Amur carps that are kept in a garden pond or aquarium.
People from different regions eat koi fish and some reject them. Since koi fish is a species of carp, it is very common in the Asian food market.
People face a dilemma when they ask the question “Can we eat koi?” So, let’s dwell on the subject and answer your question.
Can you eat koi fish?
The answer, yes, of course, you can eat koi, for, after all, it is a species of carp. But before you try koi, you need to consider a few important issues.
In Japan and Southeast Asia, especially in temple areas, koi fish are considered sacred. If you are sensitive to this, you should consider eating something that is sacred to some people.
Koi meat is different from other carp because it is a bit tough. These fish spend most of their time in shallow, stagnant water, so there is a risk of bacterial infection if you eat them raw. In fact, you should never eat raw fish.
If you want to eat koi fish, you must cook it properly and over high heat.
Koi fish are ornamental fish and are kept as pets. To make them as colorful and attractive as possible, they are sometimes fed with chemical ingredients that may be harmful to the human body. So you should avoid eating such koi, but if they are raised on natural food that is not harmful to the human body, you can try them.
Koi fish also come at a price because of their attractiveness, and you have to spend hundreds of dollars to buy them from farms or stores.
Many restaurants regularly serve koi fish. In local Asian markets and restaurants, you can find a large number of koi fish that are raised for human consumption.
Koi is a freshwater fish. And we all know that almost all freshwater fish are edible. Hence, there is nothing much to prevent you from eating Koi fish. Many people, however, can’t stand the smell of them, and the aftertaste is also a major reason why they don’t eat them. In Southeast Asia, on the other hand, koi fish is often prepared with many spices, which are sometimes very tasty and of course edible.
If you are still thinking about the same thing and feel like asking, “Do humans eat koi fish?”, I have already given the answer. I do not advise you to eat koi fish because they can be harmful to your body. It is very likely that the koi you eat were fed with ingredients that are not suitable for the human body. There are other types of koi that can be eaten. You can try them and they also taste much better than koi fish. Besides, you don’t want to spend so much money on koi fish if you are going to eat them.
Koi fish are very attractive. In Japan, you can see colorful Koi fish in many places, which enhance the beauty of the environment and match the place. Koi fish also have a high economic value.
Facts about Koi fishing
I will explain some facts about koi fish that will help you learn more about koi fish and help you get answers to important questions.
The Chinese farmers had developed a habit of raising carps in rice fields in the 1600s. Later on, this practice was transferred to Japan. In Japan, strange color variations were noticed in some carp and they were bred, resulting in the koi fish. It is the koi fish that brighten up our outdoor ponds and aquariums with their attractiveness and provide farmers with a little extra income.
Koi fish are very popular all over the world. You can find them wherever you live. Most of the fish in the koi family come from commercial farms in the United States, Europe and Asia. They are readily available at local pet stores and cost between $5 and $15 per koi, depending on the color you want.
Koi are quite large fish that can grow to two to three meters in length if properly cared for, with some species of Koi being even larger. Koi weigh an average of 35 pounds and should be kept in a large tank, as small tanks shorten their lifespan. They need fresh, clean water to live well and can live up to 20 years with optimal care.
Koi fish are very social and can easily live in pairs or groups. If you are considering adding other fish to your koi tank, make sure that both types of fish fit their environment and feeding habits, and that you have a large tank where all fish can move freely. Koi fish are very friendly and will not eat other fish they live with.
Frequently asked questions
Do koi fish taste good?
The flesh of koi is slightly harder than that of other carp, and they are freshwater fish. People are often skeptical about the taste of koi fish. Colored koi or wild gray koi taste the same.
Koi that are farmed for consumption sometimes smell strongly of mud and appear to be inedible. However, the taste depends very much on the preparation.
Koi fish must be properly cooked and prepared with sufficient seasonings to be palatable.
Are koi fish dangerous to humans?
Koi are very friendly and will not bite if you try to pet them. But koi meat can be dangerous to the human body.
Koi fish are very colorful, and to make them so colorful, they are fed with food that can be harmful to human health.
But all over the world, especially in Southeast Asia, people eat koi fish every day. They are not poisonous, and if cooked properly, they are edible and tasty.
Do koi eat other fish?
Koi are generally very gentle and friendly fish. They like to live in pairs or groups with other species of fish. However, some koi are opportunistic omnivores and will eat smaller fish.
If the pond is overcrowded with fish or if there is not enough food for the fish present, koi may eat other smaller fish or their siblings to feed on them and reduce competition for food.
Therefore, you should provide adequate care and nutrition for your koi fish. Many koi foods are available online and at local pet stores.
Is it illegal to eat koi fish?
In most parts of the world, it is legal to own and eat koi. However, in many places, it is not popular.
In Japan and in many parts of Southeast Asia, koi fishes are considered good luck and eating them is considered quite unlucky, something augurs ill for a person or a whole family.
Interestingly, in the U.S. state of Maine, it is illegal to import or possess koi fish.
But even in Maine, there don’t seem to be any laws explicitly prohibiting the consumption of koi.
In the rest of the world, there are no laws prohibiting the importation, possession or consumption of koi fish.
Are koi fish expensive?
Besides the texture and taste, there is another reason why people do not eat koi fish: they are expensive.
Koi fish are considered ornamental, almost like decorative showpieces and are often considered very special and sacred. This means that they are quite costly and not all people can buy them.
Good quality koi can be purchased for anywhere from $10 to $100, depending on their size, but even that is pretty expensive for something you can eat.
Of course, there are the so-called prize or show koi, which are sold for very high prices. Yes, these big fishes can be worth several thousand dollars on an average, the costs fluctuating between $5,000 and $10,000.
And there are also koi that are worth millions of dollars.
Yes, you read that right: millions. The most expensive koi ever sold was worth no less than $1.8 million. This is why koi are generally considered too expensive to eat.
A good quality koi that you really want to eat, and can even tolerate the taste of, is certainly expensive.
Koi are expensive not only because they are considered valuable ornamental fish, but also because of the simple laws of supply and demand.
Many people want koi, but supply is limited and this drives up the price.
How do you prepare Koi fish?
Although we do not necessarily recommend eating koi fish, they can be quite edible if prepared properly.
However, there is little guidance on how to prepare these fish for human consumption, mainly because few people do.
But if you want to raise your own koi for human consumption, one of the most important tips we can give you is to make sure that the tank they live in is big enough.
You should also make sure that the koi pond is always very clean and well maintained.
Remember that fish take on the taste of the water they live in. So, if you want your koi to taste good, give it a good quality koi food.
It is also said that it is helpful to put a Koi in a separate freshwater tank for a few weeks before feeding it, to remove some of the cloudy taste from the pond.
When the fish is then prepared for human consumption, it is no different from any other fish.
The first thing to do is to use a descaler to remove all the scales from the skin, as you certainly don’t want to eat them.
Then, using a sharp fish fillet knife, make a vertical cut just behind the gills from top to bottom, run the knife along one side of the backbone to loosen the flesh from the backbone, then repeat on the other side.
How to Cook Koi Fish: Recipes
Okay, we’re not saying that koi are not edible at all. We are assuming that the way these fish are cooked contributes significantly to their palatability.
Let’s take a look at some koi recipes that you might like.
Texas Koi Fish Tacos with Wasabi
Here is a great recipe from Texas, delicious fish tacos. These tacos can be made with koi and other hearty white fish.
It takes about 30 different ingredients, which takes a lot of time to prepare, but people say it is very good.
The koi is fried with a variety of spices, herbs and batter, then topped with a variety of toppings, homemade pico de gallo and a delicious tequila-lime aioli.
Grilled Koi Fish
Here we offer a much simpler recipe that has its roots in India and Western Asia and incorporates delicious Asian ingredients such as masala, red chilies, garlic, etc.
This is a quick and easy dish in which koi is marinated in aromatic herbs and spices and then grilled over an open fire. Grilling is considered a good way to eat koi.
Koi Tel Jhal
Koi Tel Jhal is a dish that originated in Bangladesh, as well as west Bengal in India, where people regularly eat koi fish, having a lot of delightful recipes to boast of.
Wrapping up
All over the world, people have been eating carp fish as well as koi for years. In summary, it is possible to eat koi fish. You just have to make sure that it is not fed with ingredients that are harmful to humans and that it is cooked properly before eating. At the end of the day, it is your choice whether you would eat koi fish or keep it in your home or backyard pond as a living decorative piece of item that poeple love to see when they are at play.
