Love soups? Then imagine gorging on a huge comforting bowl of soup made with pieces of crawling snakes cooked with a melange of herbs and spices? Well, for most people, indulging in a hot bowl of Snake soup might feel like a disgusting experience, but you will be amazed to know that this soup has been consumed for ages as an elixir for a healthy life. Here’s all you need to know about it and why this Cantonese delicacy is a hidden gem of their culinary culture.
Because of its potent medicinal and healing properties, as per several Asian cuisines, snake soup is no less than an elixir; this is.
Snake meat is believed to be a ‘yang’ food, which brings heat to the body, according to the age-old Chinese medicine. People usually seek it out during the chilly autumn and winter months because traditional Chinese medicine considers snake meat a “warming” food meant to boost circulation and ward off joint stiffness. This is the reason why this soup is consumed in places with cold weather conditions or during the winter season. It is believed that this healing soup can combat the ‘yin'(cold) of the winter season. Snake soup is primarily eaten in Southern China, most notably within Hong Kong and Guangdong province, where it has been a seasonal Cantonese staple for generations. You’ll also spot variations of it across Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and parts of Indonesia, where wild snakes are traditionally hunted for both the dinner table and folk medicine. Typically slow-simmered with chicken, pork bones, ginger, and dried citrus peel to offset the gamey flavor, the meat itself is finely shredded and carries a texture and mild taste remarkably close to lean chicken.