Cambodia Part I: My Bizarre Experience; the Snake

I call it as a bizarre food experience as it's the first time for me to taste snake meat that I've never imagined that I'll really give it a try. To me, this soft texture, cold blood reptile that is lacking of backbone or what we call it as invertebrate is not only ugly but scary and now, to put it into my mouth?

According to our taxi driver, water snake meat is a snack that is easily available at any roadside stalls. Cambodia has a lot of rivers and mainly a big lake that is called Tonle Sap; a strategic place as the living place for the snakes. Thus, the snakes have turned out to be one of the main dishes for the local people.

If you asked me 'how the snake meat tastes alike', I'll say it tastes a little alike chicken but the meat is actually smoother. The snakes are grilled on the fire from the charcoal and being served with a special homemade sauce. I guess they've marinated the snakes with some colouring or sauces that have made the skin to be in red. The meat is tender but this small animal is having too many tiny bones that I've to really be careful during biting. It's being served with the lime and fresh basil leaves, to add in freshness and to remove the smell of the snake meat. What I find it as special is the sauce whereby it's alike Thai chili sauce but they've added the coarse salt to give saltiness and deliciousness that has refreshed this simple sauce.

I guess there'll be no more second chance that I'll taste snake meat again because... I still feel it's too ugly. Moreover, an unforgettable matter is the disgusting smell of the snake that is remained on my finger that can't be removed with soap.