Snake Soup

Snake Soup is a popular Cantonese delicacy and health supplement in Hong Kong, which contains the meats of at least two types of snakes as the main ingredients. The soup tastes slightly sweet because of the addition of chrysanthemum leaves and spices, while the snake meat in the soup is said to resemble the texture and taste of chicken meat.

It is usually served in specialized stores known as "Snake King" or "Shea Wang," mostly located in Shum Shui Po and Kowloon City, in fall or winter season for approximately $50 HKD ($6.50 USD) per bowl. Originated centuries ago during the Era of Warring States, snake soup has been lauded in Chinese culture for its alleged medicinal benefits and high nutritional value. However, there are concerns in recent years that the snake soup industry in Hong Kong is on the decline because soup makers have few people to whom to pass on their skills.

Typical snake soup recipe calls for at least two types of snakes whose flesh is shredded into thread-like wires, boiled with chicken, pork bone, lean meat, fish maw, fungus, ginger, lemon leaves and other spices for flavor. The mixture is stewed for over six hours to turn into a thick soup, seasoned with salt pepper and dark soy to taste. Most importantly, a thickener, typically corn starch or water caltrop paste, is added, making it a thick soup with a transparent appearance, rather than broth. More elaborate snake soup preparations involve additional ingredients such as pork chops, and herbs and spices, including star anise.

The breed of snake used in cooking varies from place to place but water snake and python snake are popular choices. Chinese cobra, Banded krait, Indo-Chinese Rat Snake, Tri-rope beauty snake and Hundred-pace viper are commonly used in snake soups. At many restaurants that serve snake soups, customers are able to choose, according to their preference, live snakes to be prepared.