The world is full of surprises with different cultures bringing their own nuances and twists to it. We can also see this colorful and surprising side in local alcoholic drinks of various cultures. Snake wine is one such drink that definitely generates intrigue, especially popular in Hong Kong as it’s a known name among alcohol enthusiasts. If you’re a bibulous person, we’ve got your curiosity covered. Here’s everything about snake wine, so you can go ahead and decide whether it’s something you’d like to try.
What Is Snake Wine?
Snake wine is exactly what it sounds like. Coming from South Asia, this unusual alcoholic drink is made by fermenting an entire snake in a jar of rice and grain wine. The skin, venom, and blood are infused with herbs and spices to create this interestingly strange alcoholic drink.
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History Of Snake Wine
Need is the base for many inventions and the saying is relevant in the case of snake wine too. The drink is believed to have originated in the Western Zhou dynasty around 1046-771 BC. Snakes are believed to have medicinal benefits in Chinese medicine culture, so the drink was primarily used for treatment.
Snake wine is also believed to be used during the times of Ancient Greek to treat ailments like retained placentas. If we move towards Europe, traditional healers, and herbalists used to blend vodka with small snakes and calamus roots while in Brazil, snakes were soaked in fermented sugar cane juice. Mixing the two together had medicinal purposes of treating rheumatism, impotence, and bug bites and at the same time, the drink also had important religious significance.
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How Is Snake Wine Prepared?
Crafters use many methods to prepare snake wine. As mentioned before, the most popular one is putting a venomous snake in a jar and letting it marinate for months. The snake is usually alive and over the months, its venom and skin infused with wine create this intoxicating drink. The concentration is usually 50% while the ratio of the live snake to wine is 1:10. To put it simply, for 500 grams of the snake, 5 kg of liquor is required.
The fermentation process usually takes 3 months to a year. The ethanol content present in the rice wine neutralizes the snake’s venom and creates this intriguing drink. Another method is by slicing a snake from its belly and directly mixing its blood into a vessel full of rice/ grain wine. This drink is generally consumed as a shot and doesn’t require any storing or fermentation.
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How To Drink Snake Wine?
- If the snake wine is fermented and stored for months, it’s taken out carefully in a glass. The snake in it mostly dies but in some cases, it can be alive and in hibernation. Once the alcohol is taken out of the jar, it can be sipped and enjoyed in a glass or another bottle.
- Snake wine is enjoyed casually as a drink and in some traditional restaurants, it’s also served with snake-based dishes like Snake soup.
- If the wine is made after slicing a snake and taking out the blood, the spirit is consumed directly. Rice/grain wine and snake blood are mixed together and you drink it directly like a shot.
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Things To Keep In Mind
- While some believe snake wine to have medicinal properties, there’s no strong scientific backing to it. While there may be some sources that strongly believe the health benefits of snake wine and locals rave about it, it’s better that you try this spirit at your own risk.
- Many countries don’t allow you to take these wines with you, so check the laws and permissions.
- There have been some instances where the snake was still alive after the fermentation process, be extra cautious if you’re the one opening the bottle.
- Avoid going to shady places, and drinking homemade snake wines. They might be dangerous to your health and finding a hospital in a strange land isn’t fun.
Where Can You Find Snake Wine?
Snake wine initially used to be present in China but now it’s available in various countries where Chinese influences are still present. Snake wine is easily available in parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and Southern China. Ask the locals and go to authentic traditional markets or snake restaurants to get the drink.
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Summing Up
There will always be polarizing opinions when it comes to something unusual. If you want to try snake wine, it’s best to know everything about it so you know what to expect. Just be mindful and purchase the drink from a legit source to avoid any venomous experiences.
FAQs
Why Do The Chinese Drink Snake Wine?
Many Chinese people strongly believe that snakes possess medicinal properties to treat various ailments. More than pleasure, individuals used to consume snake wine to improve health and it’s still the main reason behind its consumption.
Can Snakes In Snake Wine Bite You?
In most cases, the snake dies in the jar while its venom, skin, and meat mix with the drink. But, there have been instances where the snake went into hibernation and ended up biting the person when they opened the jar. While it’s rare, it certainly is a possibility so be careful and buy snake wine from a legit place only.
What Is The Strongest Alcohol You Can Buy Legally?
Alcohol laws differ in different countries. If we look globally, we can consider Polmos Spirytus Rektyfikowany Vodka to be the strongest alcohol which is available in Poland. The vodka has 96% ABV which is one of the highest in the world.
Why Do Vietnamese Drink Snake Wine?
Snake wine is pretty popular in Vietnam because they believe it to possess health and virility. The locals drink it for the believed health benefits while the tourists consume it because of curiosity and intrigue.
What Is The World’s Strongest Wine?
Zinfandel, Muscat, Sherry, Marsala, and Port are some of the strongest wines with ABV ranging from 15% to 20%.
Can You Bring Back Snake Wine From Vietnam?
Many countries consider snakes to be an endangered species. Whether or not you can bring snake wine depends strictly upon the laws of your country. So, check with the airlines and your country’s laws before deciding to pack the snack wine with you.
Is Snake Wine Legal In The U.S?
Wines are legal in the U.S but importing snakes isn’t. Snakes fall under endangered species so you can’t make snake wine legally while you’re in the U.S.
