LIVING FOOD LIVING FOOD line of customers stands I’m accompanied by a Hong Kong to handle snakes. Now in her 50s, Shia Wong Hip’s snake patiently outside a non- Snake soup’s a local, who suggests we try snake she’s a licensed snake catcher and soup is famous, possibly Snake’s descript shop in Hong soothing comfort soup, something she’s enjoyed live snake manager. The snakes are because it includes greater AKong’s Sham Shui Po many times. I decline but ask her stored at the rear of the diner, in a proportions of snake than its District, in the north-western food for the Hong what she likes about snake soup. series of brown wooden drawers, competitors. At $HKG75 (about on the section of the Kowloon Peninsula. Kong Chinese to eat, “Snake soup’s a soothing comfort each bearing a bright red stamp in PGK30) for a large and $HKG45 for A row of fluorescent lights food for the Hong Kong Chinese to Chinese: ‘poisonous snakes’. a small bowl, it's an economical exposes the shop’s jumbled mess. especially during eat, especially during winter,” she Shia Wong Hip imports its meal. After eating, customers can menu The tiled walls are covered with winter. says. “We aren’t able to make this snakes from China, Indonesia and request to hold a snake. The diner newspaper clippings and coloured kind of soup at home, so there’s Malaysia. They use five types of also sells products ranging from paper filled with Chinese symbols, always a market for customers snakes to make their soup. Other snake wine to snake skin handbags Jennifer Johnston the shelves stacked with an who love snake soup.” ingredients include shredded lemon and belts. eclectic collection of plastic bags, Chinese characters. At the top She informs me cooked snake leaves, vinegar, black fungus and visits a busy Hong Air Niugini flies from glass jars, and various utensils. of one sign are two hand-written tastes similar to chicken, although mandarin peel. Also available are Port Moresby to Hong Despite the shop’s dishevelled words in English: ‘snake soup'. slightly tougher. fried snake balls and barbecued Kong diner where Kong three times weekly. appearance, the tables and chairs In traditional Chinese medicine, The Shia Wong Hip diner has snake. Or for a more robust See airniugini.com.pg. the patrons are crammed into its small interior snake is renowned for warming been serving snake soup since concoction, there’s a power soup slurping snake are filled with patrons eating from the body and for healing benefits, 1965 and its proprietor, Chau Ka made from lizards, silkworms, cow bowls. said to promote blood circulation Ling, known as Hong Kong’s ‘snake penis and seahorses. A drop of soup. Curious, I notice a perspex box at and ease arthritis. Snake soup has queen’ is a second-generation snake gall bladder wine may help the front right of the shop partially been consumed in China for over server of the local favourite. As a JOHNSTONPICTURE: JENNIFER with digestion. masked with more signs and 2000 years. child, she was trained by her father Dishing it out ... snake soup at Shia Wong Hip diner. 96 Paradise – Air Niugini’s in-flight magazine May – June 2018 97 .