Quach Thi My Lan’s dried snake processing facility (in An Giang) has been operating for over 25 years. During the floating season, she collects and processes 500-600kg of fresh snakes every day, supplying the market with 80-100kg of dried snakes.
When the water changes color and rises, overflowing into the fields, people in the Mekong Delta begin to enjoy and benefit from the products of nature. One of them is dried snake, a famous specialty of border people in Vinh Hoi Dong commune, An Phu district, An Giang.
Dried snakes are popular with many diners because of their strange mouth (Photo: Bao Ky).Quach Thi My Lan (40 years old, owner of Tieu Lan dry snake barn) said that this profession was made by her parents and then passed on to her daughter to inherit and build the brand for more than 25 years now. Dried snakes produce all year round, but are busiest during the floating season. The water carries a large number of copper snakes, which fishermen catch and sell to Ms. Lan’s facility to dry (Photo: Bao Ky).The snakes used for drying are usually water lily, water snakes, rattlesnakes… Every day, Ms. Lan’s dry barn consumes more than 600kg of live snakes (Photo: Bao Ky).Live snakes skinned, gutted and removed the flesh to dry (Photo: Bao Ky).After being cleaned, the snake meat is marinated with ingredients such as salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, pepper, chili, marinated for 30 minutes and then dried (Photo: Bao Ky).In order for the dried pieces to be eye-catching, the dried meat will be rolled up to form a leaf shape and then dried in the hot sun (Photo: Bao Ky).Mr. Le Van Tieu (her husband Lan) said that snake meat exposed in the open air for 2 days will dry out. If the weather is bad, snake meat is put into the kiln (Photo: Bao Ky).After drying enough, the snake meat turns an attractive red-pink color on its own. On average, 12kg of fresh snakes will produce 1kg of dried solid products (Photo: Bao Ky).In addition to dried snake meat, Ms. Lan’s facility also provides many products from snakes such as whole dried snakes, snake bones, snake tails… These ingredients are used in the processing of traditional medicine, soaking in wine, and high cooking. … (Photo: Bao Ky).The price of dry solids here ranges from 270,000 to 550,000 VND/kg. On a weekday, Ms. Lan provides about 50kg of dry solids, especially in the floating season or Tet season, which increases from 80 to 100kg (Photo: Bao Ky).In addition to dried snakes, the facility also processes dried eel specialties (Photo: Bao Ky).Dried snakes are expensive to help Ms. Lan create jobs for local workers with an income of 200,000 VND/day (Photo: Bao Ky).
