Snake wine

Snake wine (; "rượu rắn" in Vietnamese) is an alcoholic beverage produced by infusing whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. The drink was first recorded to have been consumed in China during the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1040–770 BC) and considered an important curative and believed to reinvigorate a person according to Traditional Chinese medicine. It can be found in China, Goa (India), Vietnam, Okinawa (Japan) and throughout Southeast Asia.
The snakes, preferably venomous ones, are not usually preserved for their meat but to have their "essence" and/or snake venom dissolved in the liquor. The snake venom proteins are unfolded by the ethanol and therefore the completed beverage is usually, but not always, safe to drink.
The Huaxi street night market () of Taipei, Taiwan, is renowned for its snake foods and wine products.
Varieties.
There are two main types of snake wine, which utilize either parts of a live snake, or the entire snake itself.
History.
Snakes and their viscera have long been considered by followers of Traditional Chinese Medicine to be invaluable for the promotion of vitality and health. The drink was first recorded to be used in China during the Western Zhou dynasty (771 BC) and the medicinal use of snakes was noted in the medical manual "Shen nong ben cao jing" () compiled between 300 B.C. and 200 A.D. The detailed use of various snake feces, their body parts, and various preparations were greatly elaborated in Li Shizhen's "Bencao Gangmu" (). Snake bile was offered to Yang Jisheng as treatment for the injuries he suffered in prison circa 1554.
Snake wine can be found in many areas of Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Southern China.
Claims of medicinal value.
Snakes are widely believed to possess medicinal qualities and the wine is often advertised to cure everything from farsightedness to hair loss, as well as to increase sexual performance. In Vietnam, snake wine (Rượu rắn) is widely believed by some individuals to improve health and virility. A similar drink is made with dehydrated geckos or sea horses rather than snakes. Snake wine, due to its high alcohol percentage, is traditionally drunk in shot glasses.
It is illegal to import snake wine to many countries because many of the snakes used for its production are endangered species.
Health risks.
The risks of ingesting snake wine include systemic envenomation from the contained venom, which may present features differing from direct envenomation by snakebite. A number of health problems of the vascular system may result, including damage to the vascular wall endothelium, abnormal platelet function and activation, and coagulopathy.