Japanese couple tries snake cuisine in Hanoi’s famous Snake Village

Kiki, a Japanese blogger who speaks fluent Vietnamese, has been living in Vietnam for six years. He is known for his in-depth insights into Vietnamese culture and cuisine and often shares his discoveries on his YouTube channel. This time, he introduced Masami and Yumika to the traditional and somewhat intimidating dishes of Le Mat village in Hanoi’s Long Bien district.

Recognized as a “traditional craft village” by Hanoi authorities since 2011, Le Mat village is known for its snake farming and culinary expertise. The village specializes in various species of snakes, including king cobras, tiger horses and rat snakes, with prices ranging from VND 1.2 million to 1.4 million per kilogram.

When the couple arrived at the restaurant, they were curious and worried as they looked at the snake cages. Under the guidance of the restaurant owner, they gathered up their courage and touched a king cobra, witnessing its strange “playing dead” behavior.

The restaurant offered a range of snake dishes: grilled snake, fried snake meat, minced snake ribs with rice paper, snake spring rolls and snake sausage wrapped in betel leaves. The meal began with the chef preparing snake bile, blood and heart in front of the guests and mixing them with wine to create a unique taste experience.

The first dish served was chopped snake ribs fried with lemongrass and rice paper. Yumika and Masami, who were accompanied by Kiki, found the dish surprisingly delicious and compared it to beef.

Next, they tried wine mixed with snake blood and bile, which is said to have various health benefits. The strong taste of the wine masked the typical taste of blood and bile, making it more palatable to the guests.

The highlight of the culinary journey was the hot snake porridge. This dish made from fresh snake meat and various herbs offered a warm and comforting taste. The rich and hearty porridge was a new yet delicious experience for Masami and Yumika.

“The hot snake porridge was surprisingly soothing. It had a rich, spicy taste that was very pleasant,” Masami said.

The adventure continued with more exotic snake dishes: deep-fried snake meat with sesame seeds, spring rolls with snake meat, snake meat wrapped in betel leaves and crispy fried snake skin. The hot, freshly prepared dishes were met with great enthusiasm and guests constantly praised their deliciousness.

“I understand why Kiki praises snake meat as delicious. Snake meat is not difficult to eat at all, even if it looks a bit scary,” commented Yumika, impressed by how all parts of the snake were utilized.

Kiki admired the couple’s courage and noted their willingness to try sophisticated dishes despite only being in Vietnam for two days. He described the taste of snake meat as similar to fatty white fish, mild, yet rich and flavorful.