Snake in a stomach

Fear eerily crept from the tips of my fingers and toes gradually reaching the center of my body; my mind froze temporarily at sight of a 3 foot-long live snake, bagged up in a white sac, which was presented to us as the Chef's best selection! I was stunned then I started getting goosebumps in my seat each time the waiter comes in to our [private] dining room (at the restaurant) to serve our other dishes. I was afraid it could be the snake! Actually, it was very much of a mixed feeling of fear, excitement, and anticipation by the fact that it will be my first time having went against my moral-instinct on food -- Eating SNAKES!! It was last Saturday, Sept 8 2007.

It is, however, still a delicacy in most part of China! Despite that, I was told that not many restaurant dishes out snake and even if they do, it is often NOT on the menu for ordering. It must be requested either in advanced or when you step in the restaurant. It costs around 160元 to 290元 depending on the size and the type of the reptile you wish to have.

I was afraid, yet each time somebody knocks on the door my camera was ready for the waiter to present the dish! It was our night's specialty. HF wanted to have snake meat... O for the love of God, as she misses it much! After waited 30 minutes, another knock on the door and in came the waiter... with a small bowl in his hand. It was, I was informed, the snake's gall bladder (蛇胆: shédän) immersed in rice wine. While I shivered briefly and felt as though cold breeze had just gushed through me at the sight of it, everybody else was trying to convince everyone else not to be afraid as the snake's gall bladder is, supposedly, very nutritious and good for our eyes (sight)!

I should, my thoughts start running wild, have at least a hundreds of those IF what-they-say-was-true and so that I don't need to live through the traumatic phase of having to consider LASIK surgery. I am short-sighted, by the way. But that would mean having to feast on a hundred snakes when I am still seated there waiting with mixed anticipation for them to dish out the specialty! I shuddered the thoughts out and try to focus NOT to gulp down that gall bladder. It is a gall bladder for God's sake! Mind you, it's from a snake! What makes me think I would down it? Ah! I will admit to you soon.

Not long after there was another knock. THE SNAKE is served! At this time, I was like "oh my god! Oh my God! OH-MY-GAAAWD!! I can't believe I am here!"



The snake was... delicious!! There were no bones like you'd find having any fishes. At the end of it, I found myself 'playing' with the vertebrae of the snake!! It was hilarious yet seriously silly! The vertebrae of the snake was very strong and was not easy to be detached like that of fishes. Considering it was my first time eating snake, it was nonetheless quite delicious frankly speaking.

Now, when everyone's done with their fillets, I was next tempted to go for the bowl (the gall bladder) where nobody had the guts to take. I was only tempted because of this. Not because the gall bladder appeals to my appetite!! NO! It does not appeal to my appetite! I was there purely and only for the experience of it all and just because no one is having it, I don't think I'm going to let them influence me to forgo my experience that I can only have here in China. So, I gathered up my guts and balls to grab the bowl that everyone is giving the "Eeeeyeeeewww!!" look. Ironically, they are the ones who seemed to know best of how to, ahem, consume it!

"Just drink it! Just gulp it down! Pinch your nose and swallow it! Don't chew it... or you will spit everything out! It's very bitter!"

"Why don't you have it?", I offered.

"No, no! No thank you! You should try it", a shuddering response.

I did not even know what this (蛇胆) was then (because none were able to translate it into English). All I knew about this was that it was good for the eyes! In the video below, I was told it was the liver!! It was like telling a little boy that the worms in front of him is peanut-butter! When I had the bowl (gall bladder in it) in my hands and ready to down it just like the way everybody has been telling me so, I didn't even remember the name of it! To be perfectly honest, it was only because of the enticing aroma of the rice wine that made me tilt the bowl up at my lips and took everything in it down. It was such a thirst quencher!

And, NO, there was not a problem with me at all the next morning.



Below are photos of other dishes we had for the evening. They are not as special as the "main dish" of the evening, however, it does at the very least that there still remains some sanity in Chinese people when comes to culinary delights!

Seafood. This is between a lobster and a giant tiger prawn. No, it's not a mutant... I just don't know its name.

Some glutinous rice with pork steamed in bamboo. Absolutely delicious!

The variety of dishes for the evening. The aloe vera (front left) was very appetising!

The deep fried snake fillets. Trust me, they are delicious!

The skin of the snake! This stuff should be on every appetiser's menu of every restaurant! Good stuff! Chewy and tasty!.

HF and myself with our finished snake fillet. Look! I'm smiling!

To conclude this posting, it was a rather satisfying experience for all that I have been through that evening!! "Will I ever have snake again?" would probably be the biggest question at the moment. My answer to this question is definitely a resounding "YES!" ... but in the next 3 years or so. ;)