A friend told me the Japanese *eat* koi. I didn't want to believe it, but I told him I'd post his question here; maybe someone would be able to give a definitive answer. How could anyone do such a thing! :angry:

YES, they do eat them. Generally it's the ones that aren't as pretty as the others. I don't know the whole story behind it all though. But deffinately they do.

Sushui are known as German scale, the reason is because they were bred first in Germany. The reason for this is because they were easier to clean for eating, no scales.

They eat magoi, which is the ancient form of carp and the mother of all koi today. They do not eat what we know as koi since they are far more valuable alive than on the dinner plate.

its sick if you ask me
luckily those kois are quiet expensive and
people tend to keep them in pond rather them have
them on the dinner plate

Um...why is it different than eating any other fish?

I thought of this, too - why is it different? I would get a little upset when eating tunaburgers, for example, and looking at Gilbert - but then I thought: well, he eats fish. Fish are not sentimental animals. But-

To eat a wild-caught creature, which sees you as an enemy, is perhaps a little different than to eat a creature which knows, likes and trusts you. Maybe it shouldn't be, but it feels different to me.

Then there's the expense. Even if Koi were not the intelligent, trusting creatures they are, it strikes me as obscene to eat a creature that costs several month's salary (or even several years) when there are many far cheaper sources of protein.

Taking these two things together, eating a koi strikes me as being the equivalent of eating a valuable thoroughbred racehorse. I don't like that idea, either. It may not be entirely rational of me, but I don't.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is true.

Much like we have a Thanksgiving holiday, they have a festival in which a koi is purchsed, brough home, and consumed as the meal. We have families that raise their own turkey and have it for their holiday dinner, they have a similar tradition.

Sorry to confirm it but it is true.

Humans are the only species who keep animals as "pets" and then eat them. Beef is one example....

Now I would be upset if someone took one of my fish and put him in the skillet, but I for one love catfish!