Snake sausage – a specialty food of Dong Thap

Flood season in Mekong Delta brings to local people a wide range of products including Siamese mud carp, Egyptian pea flower, mouse, and various snakes. In Dong Thap province, they use rainbow water snake and snakes of Colubridae family to make a distinct dish which is called Snake sausage (Doi ran). This kind of food is only available in the flood season every year. Rice wine and snack sausage are offered to the best friends in Mekong Delta. The food contains the hospitality of indigenous local people. Snake sausage reflects the characteristics of Mekong Delta which has unique products and typical culture.

In the flood season, local people use fishing nets to catch snakes. According to experienced snake hunters, rainbow water snake and snakes of Colubridae family are not fierce and toxic, it is also easy to catch them. In this season, the snakes are big and plumpy, their meat is very sweet-tasty and tender.

The snakes are burned on fired or poached in boiling water in order to remove their scales. Remove the snake organs and peel the skin. The cook must keep the whole skin. Snake meat is ground, marinated with spices then used to fill the whole skin until the skin looks full and plumpy. Use ropes to tie two ends of the skin and tie the snake sausage into chunks. Snake sausage can be steamed or grilled, fried, then served with various herbs. It is better to eat this food with Egyptian pea flower salad. The tender meat, the crunchy snake skin, the typical taste and smell of snake can satisfy the most difficult diners.

Although the sausage looks scary, it tastes and smell great. Don’t be scared of it! Try once, remember forever.

Read more about What to eat in Dong Thap? to learn more about great foods in Dong Thap.

Snake sausage

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