‘It can be eaten’: Malaysian woman says she’s no odd fish, despite reaction to her koi soup
- When around 20 koi belonging to Amanda Omeychua died on Sunday, she turned them into a meal, prompting international incredulity
- But she has taken the comments in her stride, saying she cooks and eats all her dead fish – and quipping that if her new koi meet the same fate, she might ‘try them with turmeric and chilli’

Omeychua said she had taken the reactions, even those criticising her, in stride.
“I am feeling OK, I can accept what people are saying. Not all types of food can be in people’s mouths, so that’s why many people are shocked. But it is still fish and it can be eaten,” Omeychua, who is from the Rungus ethnic group in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah, said in an interview.
Omeychua, who now lives in the country’s administrative capital of Putrajaya, said she had around 40 Japanese koi in her pond, half of which died when her domestic helper left the tap water on while filling up the pond. Omeychua believes the concentrated levels of chlorine and shortage of oxygen killed the fish, which are “very sensitive”.
Smaller koi cost between 300 ringgit and 500 ringgit (US$74-US$124), while a larger one can go for up to 1,000 ringgit, she said, and she did not want her precious fish to go to waste.
On a Facebook group called “Masak Apa Tak Jadi Hari Ni”, which roughly translates to “Cooking Fails Of The Day”, Omeychua shared a montage of six pictures, describing her soup dish as a “recipe fit for royalty”.