Autumn is one of the most wonderful seasons of the year, with moderate temperatures and hearty cuisine. There is a folk tradition that snake meat in autumn is more tender, which helps to strengthen physical strength and immunity. However, recently the Guangzhou Forestry and Garden Bureau published an article titled "Snakes are edible is a rumor!" article, reminding everyone that snakes are not edible. According to the bureau, neither wild snakes nor farmed snakes are listed in the national inventory of livestock and poultry genetic resources, so business units are not allowed to use snakes as ingredients to process dishes. However, the reporter's investigation found that there are still people on social platforms who spread the message that "snakes can be eaten in autumn". Some self-media bloggers recommend restaurants in Guangzhou and surrounding areas to attract diners to taste snake meat dishes. They even carry slogans such as "Autumn breeze is best for eating game" and "Snake cooking" in an attempt to attract more diners when autumn arrives. Although the Guangzhou Forestry and Garden Bureau reminds snakes not to be edible, some well-known restaurants continue to sell snake meat and game.
The reporter found that a restaurant located on Tianhe Machang Road was recommended on the Internet. Although they used pronouns such as "rhubarb eel", "banyan eel" and "water eel" to refer to snake meat, some people still shared their experience eating snake food. In addition, the restaurant has also launched a set meal group purchase link of "Classic Dragon and Phoenix Turtle Pot" and "Big Yellow Eel Sanpinhuang", which can still be purchased so far. However, when the reporter called the restaurant to ask whether the set meal was sold normally, the restaurant staff said that there were no snakes to supply in recent days, and if you purchased the set meal group purchase, you can directly apply for a refund. While some restaurants have stopped selling snake meat, others still sell this fasting ingredient. The reporter undertook a visit to a restaurant and found that their sign appeared to have the word snake removed from it. There is also a poster with the slogan "Protect wildlife, no wild meat" and a clear sign on the menu that says "No photography."
When the reporter further asked the clerk, the clerk made it clear that snake dishes could still be provided in the store, such as "Water Law" at a price of 190 yuan per catty, and 10 yuan per catty if an invoice was required. Although the waiter did not disclose the specific source of the snake, they said it could offer a variety of other snakes, including "venomous snakes." Hu Huijian, a researcher at the Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, answered the question of why some restaurants still get snake meat and continue to sell it. He said that as early as 2020, Guangdong and other southern provinces have successfully realized the artificial breeding of a variety of snakes such as mouse snakes, Zhoushan cobras, and silver-ringed snakes, and the output is relatively high. As a result, the vast majority of snakes sold on the market are farmed individuals. Although it is illegal to process and sell snakes as food, the use of snakes in the cultivation of medicinal and leather materials is not prohibited. Hu Huijian said that the source of some food restaurants may come from snake farms for medicinal and leather purposes.
At the same time, due to the maturity of breeding technology, there may also be some farmers who raise snakes without registration. However, he also pointed out that due to the reduction in the scale of farming, the snakes in circulation in the market may also be illegally hunted wild individuals. Hu Huijian stressed that from the perspective of food safety, it is not recommended for the public to eat snakes of unknown origin, because snakes, whether privately farmed or caught in the wild, have a higher risk of contracting diseases and parasites after consumption due to the lack of official supervision and inspection and quarantine. Hu Huijian suggested that the scope of legal special breeding should be appropriately expanded, and the supervision of special farmed animals should be strengthened by delineating special trading markets to reduce illegal hunting of wild individuals and reduce the risk of infectious diseases. In addition, he mentioned that the legal distinction between wild animals and farmed animals should be clarified, and the legal obstacles to special farming should be addressed. To sum up, although the Guangzhou Forestry and Garden Bureau has clearly stated that snakes are not edible, there are still some restaurants that still sell snake meat and game.
Since the origin of snake food is unknown, there are food safety risks, and experts do not recommend that the public eat it. Therefore, when choosing food, we should carefully consider to protect our health and protect wildlife resources.