Do the local ones here eat snakes?

Do the local ones here eat snakes? I have seen pigeons roasted and served in the local restaurants in Beijing and Guangzhou.

In Hong Kong, yes, and in China.

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1356799/snake-soup-bite-heals

Pigeon is also popular.

Depends on what part of China. It's a big country, so invariably somewhere there is a restaurant that serves X. Doesnt mean it is super common.

It's also usually more expensive than chicken or pork, so you definitely wont be eating it by accident.

They have farmed animals including the above; sadly some theft of pets is not uncommon.

I recently ate water snake in Shanghai, killed, gutted, skinned and cooked before my eyes. To be honest there wasn't much to eat once it was fried.

https://untourfoodtours.com/product/shanghai-night-eats/

As they say, "Chinese eat anything with 4 legs except the table and anything that flies except a plane"! And I saw fried scorpion and crickets on skewers, so that's 6 legs!

Chinese also have an incredible knowledge of plants and herbs that have claimed remedial properties.

In the North East (And parts of Guangxi), dog is commonly eaten (The dog truck used to go past my workplace in Jilin a couple of times a week).

In the South, they eat EVERYTHING.

In Beijing/Shanghai/etc, it is probably possible to find somewhere serving, pretty much, anything if you look hard enough. BUT, as pointed out above, it will be more expensive than pork or chicken (Beef will also cost you more) so you won't eat it by accident.

(By the by: I got some lovely pictures of spit-roasting snake and crocodile in Nga Trang, Vietnam earlier this year and it smelled damn good, too).

Honestly, not as much as you think. If you want to find snake on the menu-go to Vietnam (Hanoi, Le Mat "Snake Village") in China if you find snake on the menu, probably is nothing compared to what you find in La Mat Snake Village. In particular check out "The Hung Snake Restaurant", a old friend of mine-his family owns it...trust me, you won't be disappointed, but it will cost ya for the best possible meal and you will want to go with friends to make sure you can finish the meal.

Sometimes in Shanghai, I had seen at the wet markets in small alleys all sorts of reptiles for sale, alive, among other living creatures...Chinese eat anything that moves.

I would wager 90% of the time...those SALAMANDERS or MUD PUPPIES are pets bro.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.