Pizza Hut introduced a pizza made from snake meat into Chinese markets, CNN reported Wednesday.
The American pizza chain partnered with a century-old Hong Kong restaurant to serve snake on pizza, according to CNN. The dish consists of ingredients from the traditional snake stew — shredded snake meat, black mushrooms and Chinese dried ham.
Pizza Hut #HongKong just launched the snake meat pizza. @TheStalwart, you gotta come back for this. pic.twitter.com/I42PO8Irwd
— Fion Li (@fion_li) November 7, 2023
“Paired with cheese and diced chicken, the snake meat becomes richer in taste,” Pizza Hut Hong Kong said in a statement.
Snake stew is typically enjoyed during colder months by diners in Hong Kong and southern China, the outlet reported. Many believe eating snakes is best for bulking up before hibernation, especially “when the autumn wind begins to blow,” according to a saying in the local Cantonese dialect, CNN reported.
“Combined with pizza, it marks a breakthrough from the conventional concept of what maintaining good health means while challenging one’s taste buds,” Pizza Hut Hong Kong said.
Consumers of snake meat pizza compared its texture to chicken and taste to seafood, CNN reported.
“The extraordinary snake pizzas offer a perfect balance to all flavors, both tantalizing and savory for this season,” Karen Chan, general manager of Pizza Hut Hong Kong and Macao said. (RELATED: Fast Food Chain To Give Out Free Fries For The Rest Of The Year)
Pizza Hut Hong Kong noted the “nourishing” qualities of snake meat, acknowledging the common Chinese medicinal belief that it “can boost blood circulation,” the outlet reported. Snake meat is also thought to improve skin and warm the body. The reptile is reputable as a dietary delicacy in other cultures in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and Thailand.