Snake Alley – Huaxi Night Market, Taipei (Taiwan)

After an exhausting 14 hour flight to Taipei, I got off the plane and was immediately greeted by my friend and his Taiwanese cousin. We headed straight to the night market, which is located near the famous Lungshan Temple. Nicknamed Snake Alley, this place, officially known as Huaxi, is among the oldest places in Taipei.

We entered the fifth restaurant on the left and were greeted by a man who began showing us a collection of live snakes in large glass habitats. He asked us to choose one and we settled on a sizable yellow serpent. The man proceeded to lay the snake on the table, cut off the head and the tail, and put it on a tray to prepare for our meal.

After about 15 minutes, out comes our guy with a bowl of snake soup full of hefty chunks of fresh serpent. As I started eating the soup, the man wished us good health while placing three glasses on the table. My Taiwanese friend explained to me that the first glass was snake blood, the second glass was filled with juices from the snake’s gallbladder, and the third was snake venom mixed with some local vodka. Of course, I couldn’t be disrespectful so I dug in! The gallbladder wasn’t particularly bad, though I had to chase it with a can of Taiwan Beer (kudos for the creative beer name). The snake blood, which is apparently good for your eyesight, didn’t require the help of Taiwan Beer and went down super smooth. We ended with a toast over snake venom and Bam! I was officially welcomed into the great nation of Taiwan. What a way to start the first day.