An Giang specialty, catch 12kg of fresh snake, dry it to make 1kg of dried snake, sell for the highest price of 500,000 VND/kg

Introducing the raw materials to make dried snake - a specialty of An Giang, Ms. Lan, Vinh Hoi Dong commune, An Phu district said, with 12kg of fresh snake meat processed into 1kg of dried snake, but the selling price at the facility is also quite "soft". Dried snake grade 1 costs 500,000 VND/kg, dried snake grade 2 is 250,000 VND/kg...

An Giang specialty - dried snake

The dried snake is shaped very skillfully, it is difficult for the uninitiated to recognize it, because it looks very similar to dried buffalo tongue fish. The process of making dried snake is also very elaborate, not everyone knows. It can be said that processing dried snake is a profession that the people of Vinh Hoi Dong commune are always proud of, passed down through many generations.

At first, because there were too many snakes caught during the season and they could not be sold, people processed them, marinated them with spices, and dried them to eat at home.

Gradually, they found this dish delicious and had a unique flavor, so they learned how to prepare it properly and shared it with everyone. Now the rustic dish has become a famous specialty everywhere.

Snake hunters are mostly Khmer people and border residents, they bring snakes from the border to sell to warehouse owners in Vietnam, with many main trading places, such as: An Phu market, Vinh Hoi Dong market, Long Binh market (An Phu district)...

Snakes are often sold to restaurants, eateries and buyers to enjoy. Because there is only one flood season a year, many establishments have taken advantage of the opportunity to buy snakes to dry and serve diners.

Making dried snake - An Giang specialty in Vinh Hoi Dong commune, An Phu district.

To prepare this specialty, the snake must first be skinned, the meat and bones separated. Only the snake meat is used to dry, while the other parts will be sold to pubs and dried for distribution to places where medicinal wine is soaked, made into glue, etc.

The snake meat will be marinated with spices. This step requires a lot of experience and a family recipe, because if you want delicious dried snake, the spices are a deciding factor.

After marinating, the snake will be shaped (like a croaker) and then dried in the sun on a rack for at least 2 days to let the meat dry and firm up...

According to those who have experience in making dried snakes in Vinh Hoi Dong commune, to make delicious dried snakes, the person drying them must ensure the technique so that the snake meat is dry on the outside but still fresh on the inside. When drying, the meat loses some water, loses its fishy smell, and is cooked to a rare state, so when grilled, it is still fresh, delicious, and sweet.

In addition, dried snake can be grilled and rolled with cucumber, green mango and young green plum, and dipped in chili sauce or tamarind fish sauce.

The crunchiness and sourness of raw mango, young green mango along with a little bit of spiciness from chili sauce and tamarind fish sauce will take the flavor of the dried snake dish to a new level...

Copper snake - a specialty that is increasingly rare

In the past, in Vinh Hoi Dong commune, there were many snake purchasing warehouses and many snake drying processing facilities, but now, there are only a few places still attached to the profession.

With more than 10 years of experience in the snake buying business, Mr. Loi (Vinh Hoi Dong commune) said that in the past, there were a lot of snakes, but gradually, natural products are becoming increasingly depleted. Now there are only a few buyers in Cambodia who bring them back to sell, but very few.

During flood season, snakes are scarce, but the prices are quite cheap: Water snakes, water lily snakes 120,000 - 130,000 VND/kg, trun snakes 180,000 - 200,000 VND/kg, elephant snakes (2/kg) are also about 350,000 VND/kg, cobras 270,000 - 350,000 VND/kg... From after Tet until around May (lunar calendar), snakes have high prices, but at this time there are very few snakes to buy.

Dried snake - An Giang specialty.

Ms. Lan (owner of My Lan dried snake processing facility) has more than 20 years of experience in drying snakes in Vinh Hoi Dong commune and said: “This year, there are fewer snakes than usual, the flood water is increasingly irregular, so snakes are becoming more scarce. Snakes are mainly purchased from Cambodia and other places in and outside the province. The types of snakes used for drying are mainly water lily snakes, bearded snakes, water snakes, trun snakes... but snakes are very scarce now.”

Introducing the raw materials to make the finished product, Ms. Lan said that 12kg of fresh snake meat is processed into 1kg of dried snake, but the selling price at the facility is also quite "soft". Dried snake grade 1 costs 500,000 VND/kg, dried snake grade 2 is 250,000 VND/kg.
In markets or specialty stores, dried snakes are sold at higher prices. They can only be processed for 6 months a year (during the rainy season, the number of snakes is greater). Previously, Ms. Lan's facility purchased 300 - 400 kg of live snakes every day to process and dry, but now it only buys about 30 - 50 kg.

“This year the flood is quite good, but there are fewer snakes than in previous years, and fewer people buying dried snakes. About 10kg of dried snakes are sold each day, although the price remains the same as previous years. I just hope that this Tet holiday will sell better, due to the demand for buying them as gifts for relatives and friends,” Lan expressed her hope.

Vinh Hoi Dong dried snake is not only a delicious dish, but also a famous specialty that tourists can buy as gifts for relatives and friends.

This is also a typical dish of An Giang, helping to develop tourism and increase economic value for local people.

"Sipping" and enjoying dried snake during Tet is a very interesting image, evoking the unique culinary culture of people in the Mekong Delta, especially during the Lunar New Year.

An Giang specialty - dried snake

Copper snake - a specialty that is increasingly rare

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