Chili-Powered Aquaculture: Chinese Pond Feeds Fish 5,000 Kilos of Peppers Daily

As of November 14th, 2025, a pond in Changsha, China has become an online sensation for its unique approach to fish farming. The pond, co-managed by 40-year-old fish farmer Jiang Sheng and his former schoolmate Kuang Ke, feeds its fish a spicy diet of up to 5,000 kilos of chili peppers every day.

According to Kuang, the use of cone peppers and millet peppers, the same types people eat, has resulted in the fish growing better body shapes, their meat tasting richer, and their scales shining golden. Initially, the fish were hesitant to the spicy feed, but now they actively choose the chili peppers over regular grass.

Jiang explains that the chili peppers are full of vitamins, just like aquatic plants, and the fish love them. The capsaicin in the chili peppers aids digestion and nutrient absorption, helping the fish grow faster and producing more tender, flavorful meat compared to normal feed.

The chili peppers are sourced for free from local farmers, often unsold or near spoiling, making them a cost-effective alternative to grass. This unique pond has drawn the attention of local fishing enthusiasts and city residents, turning it into an online sensation in Changsha.