TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan kicked off a milkfish industry and cultural event in Beimen District on Sunday to help more people learn about the fish and try new dishes.

Liberty Times reported Monday that Tainan leads Taiwan in milkfish production, with more than 3,500 hectares of ponds and over 23,000 tonnes of output a year. Most aquaculture farms are in Qigu, Annan, Beimen, Xuejia, and Jiangjun districts.

The city’s agriculture bureau said this year’s event aims to help people understand the fish’s cultural and economic value. It added that the government has also teamed up with local hotels to incorporate milkfish into dishes, per CNA.

Tainan is leaning on a full industry chain that covers farming, processing, and restaurant partners to drive up demand for local fish, the bureau said. It noted that upcoming events will feature cooking lessons, children’s classes, and art activities that help families learn more about milkfish.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said milkfish has fed coastal families for generations and that cooks can now work with it more easily thanks to better processing. Huang said the city wants to grow the market and bring in more visitors by tying food events and hotel partners together.