In Vietnam, snakes are not part of traditional cuisine. In fact, most people in the country have never tasted snake, unless of course, they are traveling in the country. But the tourism industry needed an outrageous attraction, and snakes appeal to man’s primal fears. So, snakes made the perfect addition. Read on for more information on this bizarre food. And if you are curious, you can even try it at home!
Contents
Recipes
Snake is an unusually popular dish in Vietnam, and a tasty dish to prepare is Vietnamese snake food. This delicacy is caught in the jungles of northern Vietnam and cooked in a variety of dishes. Often served with rice wine, the blood of snakes is believed to relieve headaches and digestion. Vietnamese people also eat the meat and blood from snakes because they believe it can cool down the body and soothe the digestive system.
The snakes are skinned, gutted, and cleaned before being cooked. I was amazed to see a teenage girl skin a snake in one piece. The snake tail still wiggled after a decade, but I was hooked! Snake meat is surprisingly tender and tasted like chicken. Eating it off the bone is a similar experience to eating a frog. This delicacy is popular in Le Mat, Vietnam.
Cost
While it may sound a little gross, eating snake in Vietnam is a real experience. If you are lucky enough to be in Vietnam at the right time, you can find a great deal of snake restaurants. In the capital, Hanoi, you can find dozens of restaurants serving snake dishes. Although the cost varies depending on the type of snake, expect to pay between $50 and $70 per kilogram. This price is also inclusive of the number of people eating the snake.
One of the most popular snake-eating restaurants in Vietnam is the Hanoi Snake Village, a bamboo restaurant along the river. You can enjoy the taste of snake flesh by biting the beating heart out of a cobra’s chest, removing its bile, and then drinking its blood, followed by rice wine. While this may sound like a strange way to spend a day, it’s worth it for the delicious experience and the cost of the food.
Problems
Many articles about eating snakes in Vietnam do not mention the cultural and environmental problems associated with the practice. While it is true that Vietnamese are opposed to the practice, many articles fail to mention the problems associated with snake wine. For one, the preparation of snake wine is often done with extreme cruelty. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest exporter of rice. Despite these problems, Vietnam snake food remains popular and is highly regarded by tourists.
The Vietnamese government has made it illegal to hunt snakes without a permit, and in 1974, the country signed the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. However, the booming industry still fails to meet the demand for snake meat, and farmers have no other option but to turn to wild, illegally caught snakes for their meals. While there are many laws and regulations in place, animal protection laws on the ground are largely inadequate. In fact, many forest protection officers sell confiscated animals back into the illegal trade.
Where to find
If you’re a foodie with a wild side, you might wonder where to find Vietnam snake food. In a village five miles east of Hanoi, you can find snake farms and restaurants. Some of these businesses have been around for centuries, and some are still in business today. Visiting these villages and eating snake meat is a great way to see how Vietnamese people live. Some of the people who work in these snake farms have lost fingers in the process.
A popular way to enjoy Vietnam snake food is by drinking the resulting alcohol. This type of snake wine is called ruou ran in Vietnamese and is based on traditional Chinese medicine. The snake is placed in a bottle and poured over rice wine. Many of these snake wines contain ethanol and toxic formaldehyde. Despite the toxicity of the alcohol, snake wine is a tasty alternative to drinking poison.