Do you know about snake wine?

Americans are quite familiar with the concept of a snake-oil salesman; and they have been told to avoid such a person at all costs. Even Australians, like myself, have heard of such things, although Australia has not been inhabited by such salesmen. However, how many of you are familiar with the concept of snake wine? If not, then you will know a bit more about it by the end of this post.

Snake wine is quite familiar to the people of Asia; and it is precisely what the name says it is — wine with a whole snake infused in it (as pictured above). Wikipedia notes:

Snake wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by infusing whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. The drink was first recorded to have been consumed in China during the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1040—770 BC), and is believed in folklore to reinvigorate a person, according to Traditional Chinese medicine. It can be found in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, Goa (India), Vietnam, Okinawa (Japan), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and throughout Southeast Asia.

The idea is roughly the same as it was for snake oil. Venomous snakes are used, but a small amount of venom is considered to be stimulating to the person (including being an aphrodisiac) even though a large amount of it is deadly. In modern chemical terms, we recognize that the ethanol (ie. the alcohol used) disrupts the venom molecules, making the drink (usually) safe. Needless to say, shot glasses are used, for consumption; and it is not recommended to buy home-made versions.

In Asian culture, one can, of course, use other bits of the snake (such as the blood and bile), and even other types of animal, such as scorpions, geckos and sea-horses. It is said (What is snake wine and everything you should know about it) that the taste is quite strong, with the rice wine giving an earthy, sweet taste, and the snake adding a fish or chicken-like flavor to it.

The recipes are quite straight-forward (The curious case of snake wine: How this odd beverage is made). When you drink it, you do, however, need to allow for the idea that the snake in the wine bottle might simply be hibernating, rather than being dead (Man receives venomous bite from snake wine). You should also not, of course, confuse snake wine with modern western-style Asian wines (Is Chinese wine really so New World?).

These ideas never seem to have penetrated to Australia, even though it has more snake species than anywhere else on the planet (see Snakes of Australia). Otherwise, snakes have long played many cultural roles elsewhere in the world (Everything you need to know about snakes):

Representing sin in Christianity, other cultures and religions view snakes more highly. In ancient Egypt the Egyptian Cobra adorned the crown of the Pharaoh. In ancient Greece they could be found in many medical symbols, such as the Rod of Asclepius, which is still used today. Further east in India, Hindus celebrate Nag Panchami, a day when snakes are venerated for their power over the rains. In China, the snake holds a place on the Zodiac calendar. And in non-Eurasian cultures, snakes were welcomed in Peru and Mexico, where they were revered as mortal forms of the gods.

At the other extreme, New Zealand has never had snakes at all; and, indeed, the government currently bans them completely. That is, there are no snakes in any of the zoos, nor can they be kept as pets in homes. You can check up on this in the YouTube video: Why snakes are illegal in NZ. However, sea-snakes do occasionally turn up on the seashores, as discussed in the YouTube video: Why are there so many snakes in NZ. *

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* Mind you, the Ciatti Global Market Report 2023 notes: “New Zealand is the world’s sixth-largest wine exporter by value and the most export-focused wine industry in the world, with almost 90% of wine sales occurring outside the country.” So, they do not need any snake wine of their own.