Snake wine is an alcoholic beverage that includes a whole
venomous snake in the bottle. It originated in Vietnam and can be found around
Southeast Asia. The snakes, preferably venomous ones, are usually not preserved
for their meat. They are preserved to have the snake poison dissolved in the
liquor. However, because snake venom is protein-based, they are unfolded and
therefore inactivated due to the influence of the denaturing effects of
ethanol. A large venomous snake can be placed into a glass jar of rice wine,
often with many smaller snakes, turtles, insects, or birds, and left to steep
for many months. The wine is drunk as a restorative in small shots or cups.
Body fluids of snake are mixed into wine and consumed immediately in the form
of a shot. Snake blood wine is prepared by slicing a snake along its belly and
draining its blood into a mixing vat with rice wine or grain alcohol. Snake
bile wine is done through a similar method by using the contents of the gall
bladder. Snake meat, liver, and skin can be prepared to accompany the drinks.
Source:
fbpedia
