Winter

Snake soup. A Chinese dish which is believed to be able to keep the consumer warm throughout the whole winter period. For those who had tasted mock sharksfin before, the snake soup is actually very similar, with just thin threads of snake meat added into the soup. Garnished with shredded mint leaves and crispy crackers, I would recommend everyone to give this a try.

While I am scared of snakes, that didn't stop me from eating the dish inside the shop, right in front of the drawers full of snakes. Yes, sets of wooden drawers lining the walls of the shop actually contains live snakes, with some drawers labelled "venomous snakes". What an excellent backdrop!

There are many snake soup shops peppered around Hong Kong, opened even during the non-winter seasons. I had mine at Sham Shui Po, because it is one of the most famous snake shops around and SSP is my favourite hangout anyways. For people who can't stomach the thought of eating snakes, the shops will usually sell delicious glutinous rice and snake leather products as well, so do visit a snake shop next time in order to experience a slice of the local culture.