China, a land of mysticism, furry pandas, and ancient tradition, is also home to some 200 species of snakes. And believe it or not, in some restaurants you'll find two dozen or more of those species on the menu. In fact, some establishments serve nothing but snake meat dishes.
In 2001, Chinese agriculture officials expressed great concern over the growing popularity of snake as a delicacy. The wild snake population was declining rapidly, which caused a sudden rise in crop losses to mice and rats, the snake's natural diet.
Entering the Year of the Snake, officials feared that the gourmet dish would decimate the country's agricultural industry. There apparently was good reason for their worry, considering that in the city of Shenzen, people consumed 10 tons of snake meat, every day.
Not only is the meat considered nutritious, it's used as a folk remedy. "Snake wine", in which a snake is fermented in alcohol, is also highly popular.
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