SOUTH KOREA: Seoul Food

A pick-me-up ? Try python

Foreign tourists seeking a quick snack in downtown Seoul are unlikely to find satisfaction in the Korean equivalent of American fast-food chains. These are the 400 eateries specializing in a local delicacy: snake. Among the potables on their bills of fare are bottles of a vodka-like liquor in which live serpents have been put to steep. Another quick pick-me-up is whisky fortified with powdered python. Also on the menu is tang, thick, pale yellow serpent soup. To tempt appetites, restaurateurs feature window displays of writhing snakes in glass bowls.

In a bid to make Seoul more attractive...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!