Drink

Would you like some venomous snake wine?Quoc Trieu Restaurant, Vietnam

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Step 1) Find a glass bottle.
Step 2) Stick a whole venomous snake in it, like say, a cobra.
Step 3) Leave it to ferment so the venom seeps into the alcohol.
Step 4) Try and get Westerners to drink it by telling them it cures everything from poor eyesight to hair loss.

If you’re feeling particularly brave, drunk or stupid, you might also have a go at downing a shot of blood from the still-beating heart of a snake. It, like so many things in Asia, is said to increase male virility.

Head to the reputable snake meat and liquor restaurant, Quoc Trieu, in the famed 'snake village' of Le Mat near Hanoi. There you will find all manner of snake dishes and, if you request, they can even source you a live cobra.

love
not sure?

The chance to try something seriously wild, followed by a shot of snake blood or bile

Bringing the noxious liquor back home in an old brandy bottle may not be a no-no with customs
The not-so-kind treatment of these slithering creatures

get there

Take a taxi from central Hanoi to Le Mat. It’s about a half hour drive and the restaurant can be difficult to find on your own, but the taxi driver should know where Quoc Trieu is.

price guide

Available nearly everywhere in Vietnam, snake wine is often made by villagers filling up leftover brandy or Perrier bottles, with prices varying significantly. A meal at Quoc Trieu costs US$30-50.

difficulty

Drinking this potentially sickening concoction is not for the faint of heart, so many people drink drops instead of a whole shot.

contact

Quoc Trieu Restaurant
Le Mat Village
+84 38272988
Open: 10am–10pm

need to know

This drink contains snake venom, which becomes inert in alcohol. However, homemade brews may also contain snake parasites.

Animal lovers beware – live snakes may have been killed just to make this drink.

Tags: drink, unusual experience, vietnam

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get there

Take a taxi from central Hanoi to Le Mat. It’s about a half hour drive and the restaurant can be difficult to find on your own, but the taxi driver should know where Quoc Trieu is.