Snake Soup
Thick, warming soup of shredded snake
Think of it as: Like hot-and-sour soup minus the sour, plus snake
Yes, it's snake. Tastes like chicken soup.
What does it taste like?
Light and savory, lifted by fragrant shredded lemon leaves.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureThick and silky
What is it?
Shredded snake meat simmered with chicken, mushrooms and wood ear into a thick Cantonese soup. A winter warmer served for generations at Hong Kong's snake restaurants.Source: Wikipedia
How locals eat it
Eaten in the colder months at specialist snake shops, heaped with lemon leaves and crispy crackers.
Watch it
More videos on YouTubeWhere is it from?
🇭🇰Hong Kong
CapitalHong Kong (no capital)
Populationabout 7.5 millionestimate (unverified)
IndustriesFinance, Trade and logistics, Tourism
Not a country, but a Special Administrative Region of China. It was a British territory until 1997.
Famous peopleBruce LeeKung fu film legend who grew up in Hong KongJackie ChanWorld-famous action movie star
HelloNei hou (Cantonese)
CurrencyHong Kong dollar
And JapanA favorite destination for Japanese travelers and a major buyer of Japanese food.
Fun factIt has one of the highest counts of 150 m-plus skyscrapers in the world.
The flag🇭🇰 A white bauhinia flower on red, with a red star on each of its five petals.
From Tokyoabout 2,880 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Hong Kong (no capital)
Getting thereabout 5 hours from Tokyo (direct)rough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeOctober to December, when it's cool and sunny. Also tryDim sumWonton noodlesPineapple bun More from here🧇 Egg Waffle (Gai Daan Jai)
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeOctober to December, when it's cool and sunny. Also tryDim sumWonton noodlesPineapple bun More from here🧇 Egg Waffle (Gai Daan Jai)
🇭🇰 Sounds & life in Hong Kong
你好Hello（Nei hou (Cantonese)）
Chinese characters (traditional)
Chinese characters (traditional)
Right now…
AnthemMarch of the Volunteers (China's national anthem)
MusicCantopop Hong Kong pop sung in Cantonese
Listen on YouTube SportSoccer (horse racing is huge too)
Cheung Ka-long (fencing, back-to-back Olympic gold) National flowerBauhinia FestivalLunar New Year (January–February)
MusicCantopop Hong Kong pop sung in Cantonese
Listen on YouTube SportSoccer (horse racing is huge too)
Cheung Ka-long (fencing, back-to-back Olympic gold) National flowerBauhinia FestivalLunar New Year (January–February)
Ingredients
- 300 g snake meat
- 150 g chicken
- 4 dried shiitake
- Wood ear mushrooms
- Dried tangerine peel
- 1 knob ginger
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- Lemon leaves and fried wonton strips
Can't find it? Chicken can replace the snake.
How to make it (one way)
- Simmer the snake on the bone with ginger and tangerine peel to make stock.
- Shred the meat finely.
- Add finely sliced chicken, shiitake and wood ear to the stock.
- Thicken with cornstarch.
- Top with shredded lemon leaves and crispy wonton strips.
⚠️ Handling wild snakes is dangerous. Eat it at a specialist restaurant.