Snakes on a plate! Drinking and eating snake is awesome

This is not a sequel to the cult movie Snakes on a plane (I loved Samuel L in Pulp Fiction).  This is about eating, and drinking, snakes.  Anywhere you find venomous snakes, you’ll find some dude eating snake in some ritualistic way.  In Asia, cobras are pretty much universally thought to cure everything from sexual impotency to baldness to poor eyesight, whether they’re served alive, drained of blood, or steeped in wine.

Snake wine… I’ll stick to grapes, thanks

The snake is left to soak in the rice wine for months or years to let the poison dissolve in the wine. The alcohol makes the venom inactive, so it isn’t harmful.  Snake wine supposedly has many health benefits.

Snake blood wine on the other hand is made by slicing the belly of the snake to let the blood drain into the wine and this is served immediately… as seen below…

Who cares if it’s fresh?

The local venomous snake in Okinawa, the Okinawan habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis, although any habu may be used), in alcohol for super-Viagra. It’s called ‘habushu’.  They will also eat the meat, purported even if it isn’t fresh…  Although I have heard fried snake is quite good (tastes like chicken!) I am a little wary of the snake jerky above.  Would I eat snake if given the chance?  Sure, but I may be hesitant to certain preparations… or lack thereof.