f ood and drin k f ood and drin k ZIP CHEUNG CHRIZ CHAN ZIP CHEUNG utside a restaurant, several “Nowadays, people Some die-hard customers, however, rectangular iron cages are have a higher standard for hygienic prefer traditional snake restaurants. Otidily stacked. In the cages, conditions. Also, the traditional image “I think snake soup is something snakes are crawling slowly, their of snake restaurants is rather scary, traditional, so I would like to have it forked tongues darting in and out. with many snakes crawling around in in traditional old snake restaurants,” Inside the restaurant, rows of glass the cages. So I believe that we have to said Wong Kam-tao, a 46-year-old jars along the shelves on the wall hold change,” said Yankov Wong. salesman. dead snakes, coiled up and steeping and Phoenix looks different from the Yankov Wong understands the in liquor. Many enthusiasts brave such old restaurant. All the snakes are stored modernization of She Wong Dong into traditional settings for snake cuisines upstairs. The environment looks more Dragon and Phoenix might lose some which they believe are good for health tidy, comfortable and well-lit. die-hard customers like Mr Wong. But Snake soup is usually paired with lemon grass. in winter. However, these enthusiasts Besides decorations, Yankov Wong he is confident that the new way of have become fewer and fewer over the also added a number of new dishes running business could attract more years, and so some snake shops cater which are mostly handed down from new customers, which can cover the SARS in 2003, all businesses in Hong to more customers by transforming their ancestors in the restaurant. The loss of old customers. “When the new Kong were seriously affected, let alone themselves. family has been selling snakes for four restaurant opened, the total revenue A small bowl of snake soup costs about $30. the business of snake restaurants. Tse Snake King Dong, which is called generations and developed some yielded in that year already outweighs estimated that the number of snake She Wong Dong in , was special recipes, such as “Chicken Rice the total earnings of the past two years restaurants in Hong Kong has shrunk a traditional snake restaurant in with Snake Sauce” and “Fried Fresh of the old shop,” said Wong. and they insist on keeping the snake from nearly a hundred to around . Founded in 1988, the Snake Meat.” Another decades-old snake restaurant traditional. thirty-five. restaurant sold only traditional snake “I prefer the new type of snake restaurant took a different approach “I believe that a legitimate and The popular misconception that Tse Shui-ming is playing with snakes outside his restaurant. cuisine, like snake soup, snake wine restaurants. Sometimes I don’t want to survival. Snake King Sin, which is traditional snake restaurant should winter is the only season for snake and snake oil. In 2004, the founder snake soup but I would like to try called She Wong Sin in Cantonese, has only sell snakes, not other dishes. If I cuisine also drives his business into Common misconceptions clarified of She Wong Dong, Wong Chi-lun, other dishes. The new restaurant been in Sham Shui Po for 40 years, want other Chinese dishes, I would difficulty. According to Tse, during decided to move when the rent provides a wide choice of food,” said go to other restaurants, not a snake winter, snakes are much fatter as Wong Chit-sing, Doctor Fong Yuk-fai, doubled. His two sons, Yankov Wong Yuen Ka-yi, a 20-year-old student from restaurant. My restaurant will not sell they have more fat for hibernation. licensed Chinese director of University Hiu-cho and Wong Hiu-tung, grasped the University of Hong Kong. dishes other than snake,” Tse Shui- The snake meat therefore is tender medicine practitioner Health Service, the chance to revolutionize the family ming, owner of She Wong Sin said. and tasty. “In summer, snakes are Chinese University of Hong Kong business, transforming the restaurant Realizing the drop in popularity of relatively thinner, but you cannot feel 1. Is eating snake soup good for health? into the modern Dragon and Phoenix. snake cuisine, particularly in summer, any big difference when you eat it.” he has adopted a modest change Tse suggested snake is an all-season YES NOT REALLY in his business. He sells fruits at the It would enhance blood Snake meat is just a cuisine. circulation. kind of meat. restaurant as well. Tse, with more than Tse said different snakes have 2. Having more than a bowl of snake soup per day 20 years of experience in the industry, different meat textures and different would be harmful to health? has witnessed the ups and downs of effects on health. Usually, a bowl of Depends on the health NO snake restaurants in Hong Kong. snake soup contains five types of snake condition. But those who are “Snake King Sin is my brother-in- meat: Chinese Cobra, Banded Krait, weaker should avoid eating too much. law’s nickname, who also owned the Copperhead Racer, Indo-Chinese 3. Is snake soup suitable for people of all ages? restaurant. After he retired, I took over Snake and Little Multibanded Krait. YES YES the business,” Tse said. About 20 years A bowl of snake soup includes Snakes in the bowl ago when Snake King Sin had not yet many Chinese ingredients other than 4. Snake soup would increase the body’s dryness which in turn leads to nose bleeding. retired, he always performed with snake meat, especially Chinese crude by Chriz Chan NO NO snakes outside the restaurant. These medicine such as Chinese wolfberry, Depends on the types But Chinese medicines shows attracted a lot of passers-by, aged tangerine peels, Chinese of Chinese crude in the soup may including tourists. However, due to yam, Codonopsis root and others. medicines in the soup. increase the body’s tightened government regulations on Sometimes, chicken meat or lean pork e.g. Codonopsis root dryness. snake shows and the potential danger meat are added to increase the variety can be a tonic for weaker ones while fruit to the passers-by and the performer, of textures in the soup. of Chinese wolfberry is there are no more snake shows any Regardless of the approaches good for eyes. more. adopted for their snake businesses, “The 1980s was the most prosperous both Tse and Wong would like to keep period and our business was good,” running their restaurants. As the older Tse continued. After the economic Mr Wong, founder of She Wong Dong recession in 1997 and the outbreak of said, “this is my hobby.” V

38 39