Carp Sales Begin In Prague

According to the State Veterinary Administration spokesman Petr Vorlíček, about 3000 points of sale have been registered in the Czech Republic.

Compared to last year the number has slightly increased. There are approximately 210 points in Prague.

The country’s largest fish farms in South Bohemia have raised prices for Christmas carp by an average of CZK 10-30. It is a forced measure associated with an increase in production costs amid high inflation.

The industry leader, Rybářství Třeboň, has recommended its wholesale customers to set the retail price at CZK 140 per kilo (CZK 20 more than last year). The company published a list of addresses of certified retailers. You can find it here.

For the first time, supermarket chain Lidl is not selling this year live carps in front of its stores for “humane reasons”.

The tradition of eating carp for Christmas is particularly alive and well in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. But some families in Hungary, Austria, Germany and Croatia may also be fond of it and indulge in that delicacy at Christmas time.

According to most, this tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. “Fish became popular for Christmas Eve dinner during the 13th century, because Catholics considered fish as a fasting good and Christmas Eve was the last day of the Advent fast”, Slovak resident Jozefina Babicova told Culture Trip.

“The history of eating fish on Christmas Eve is entirely due to the fact that Catholics couldn’t eat meat during the fast”.

Some families choose to buy the fish live and store it in the bathtub. It sounds silly, but there’s a reason for this. Carp are bottom feeders. The idea is that a few days swimming in clean water helps to flush mud from the fish’s digestive tract.

“A bathtub is an unnatural and highly stressful environment for an animal. In addition, chlorinated water can damage his gills and respiratory system. The temperature of the water in the tub is usually too high, which can cause a thermal shock to the fish,” said RyboLove campaign coordinator Lucie Moravcová.