Snake Wine

Found in Vietnam, China and Southeast Asia, snake wine is made by infusing whole venomous snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. The poisonous snake venom is denatured by the ethanol, making the beverage palatable for human consumption. Snake wine is said to improve health and vitality and its recorded uses for medicinal purposes can be traced back to the Western Zhou dynasty. Sometimes other reptiles, scorpions and herbs are infused in the wine for additional restorative effects. Unfortunately, it is illegal to import snake wine to most western countries so you’ll have to take a trip to Asia if you want to try it out.

Photo via Flickr/Rev. Xanatos Satanicos