GLOBAL TIMES (Beijing, China) 07 November 13 Snake bites (Yin Lu)
When Chen Jing took a bite of the golden fried ribs, she was overwhelmed by the taste. "They were crispy on the outside, and juicy in the middle. They didn't taste fishy or gamy at all. Instead, they had a fragrant aroma," said Chen, 26.
Sounds delicious, doesn't it? But what if we told you that the dish was snake ribs?
Apparently, nothing can keep Beijing's foodies from smacking their lips over this reptilian meat - not the frightening appearance of snakes, their slithery moves or dangerous venom, not even the fact that 2013 is the Year of the Snake.
"I sampled snake when I was a little girl, so I was fine with it this time. But I am still very afraid when I see live ones at the restaurant," said Chen. Besides fried snake ribs and smoked snake ribs, Chen and her friends also sampled sliced snake meat in a hot pot.
Snake soup, hot and spicy snake, salt-baked snake, baked snake blood and rice, an appetizer of snake skins dressed with sauce, and many other dishes are available in Beijing restaurants for adventurous diners.
On 1688.com, China's biggest wholesale website, nearly 200 suppliers provide products such as whole snakes, frozen or dried snake meat, snake bile, snake wines and snake eggs. The most popular edible snake species include the black snake (Zaocys dhumnades), the King Ratsnake (Elaphe carinata), the Beauty Ratsnake (Elaphe taeniura) and the Oriental Ratsnake (Ptyas mucosa).
As the Chinese saying goes, "When autumn wind rises, the snakes grow fat." Autumn and winter are said to be a good time to dine on snake meat.
"I heard that eating snakes is good for one's skin," said Chen, who admits that she has not yet noticed an improvement in her skin condition.
Others believe that heat rashes can be prevented by eating snake soup.
"I am not sure about curing heat rash, but eating snake skin does nourish people's dry skins and relieve itching, which is usually caused by dryness in autumn and winter," said dietitian Zhang Xia. She also pointed out that many skincare products on the market contain traces of snake oil.
Zhang avoids snake soup because she doesn't like to see the animal's distinctive patterned skin in her bowl, but she does like eating snakes fried with spiced salt. "Despite my fear, I encouraged myself to eat some, because I know the benefits of snake meat," she said, pointing out that it is rich in protein.
Snake meat is classified as a yin food, and autumn and winter are the seasons to nourish yin, according to Zhang. "Actually, animals such as eels, crocodiles and snakes are effective in tonifying the liver and kidney, strengthening the bones and muscles, and relieving rheumatic conditions," she said. "And this season's cold air can invade bones and muscles, easily causing rheumatic arthritis."
In Materia Medica, a classic reference of traditional Chinese medicine, snakes' meat, biles, fat, skin, bones, heads, teeth, and even saliva are cited for many medical purposes.
"Working in concert with drugs in a prescription, snake can be especially effective in promoting blood circulation and clearing stagnant blood," said Li Zhengqing, a doctor at Beijing Xizhihe Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. But Li reminds diners that even though snakes can be tasty and good for the body, eating the meat in excess can also damage the health.
It's just as well, then, that Chen and other foodies regard snake meat as only a seasonal novelty. "After all, snakes are too expensive," she said.
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