HONG KONG - Nothing holds off Hong Kong's winter chill like a hearty bowl of snake soup — but there's a problem. Many restaurants are missing the main ingredient.
Hong Kong's snake industry is suffering a severe supply crunch after mainland authorities banned exports during the SARS (news - web sites) outbreak, when research suggested the respiratory illness was spread by wildlife in southern China.
The global epidemic was declared under control in July, and snakes have gotten a SARS-free bill of health, but the ban still stands. Chinese officials have told Hong Kong snake dealers it's a conservation measure following a spike in mainland consumption, but the merchants aren't so sure.
Some suspect they're victims of an overly cautious bureaucracy.
At China's State Forestry Administration, which holds final say over snake shipments, a spokesman who identified himself only by the surname Liang told a reporter by telephone he had no information on the ban.
But it's definitely felt in the former British colony, where love of exotic food is said to include anything whose back faces the sky.
"I don't see it served anywhere. It doesn't seem like restaurants are coming out with any promotional packages," said Vincent Li, a 26-year-old financial consultant whose company puts on snake dinners for employees every year.
China is Hong Kong's top source of snakes, shipping about 67,000 every year, and traders are having to defrost last year's leftovers and import snakes from Southeast Asia at prices up to 20 percent higher.
Some restaurants normally keep snakes coiled up in cages, ready to be killed and cooked on demand. But this season many are dropping snake from the menus.
Snake aficionados view the meat as a winter-warming food, even an aphrodisiac. "It tastes great. It's good for your body," said Li.
Most of Hong Kong's 130-odd snake shops go by the name Shie Wong, which translates into "Snake King."
There's also a "Snake Queen," Chau Ka-ling, who earned her nickname by helping officials capture wild snakes. She reports sales at her eatery are off by 70 percent from last year.
"With the mainland batch in limbo, people think there's no fresh snake meat at all," she said.
Snake gall for wine or cough drops, snakeskin belts — Chau leaves little of the serpent unused. And not just snakes.
Law Oi, 73, stopped by to pick up four frozen gecko lizards for a potion to clear up her grandson's cough. She also tucked into a bowl of dark soup boiled with snake bone and turtle.
Law believes snake can help soothe her skin itches.
Savoring his weekly bowl of snake meat slivers, customer Lam Ram declared it better than chicken.
"When it's chilly, it warms up your body," the 50-year-old Lam said.
Chau said she is paying more for imported serpents, but is holding her prices down for now until Hong Kong's recession is over. An average snake meal in Hong Kong costs $3.30, about the same price as a bowl of noodle soup.
"People's buying power is still very weak," she said.
Another merchant, Kam Oi-ho, said if supplies didn't resume soon, snake shops could go under.
"Nowadays there's no room for price hikes," he said.
Serpents apparently had nothing to do with SARS, which claimed 299 lives in Hong Kong, but some are avoiding snake anyway.
"People don't eat 'wild flavor' these days," said K. Yip, a Chinese restaurant manager, referring to the wild animals suspected of spreading SARS. His restaurant isn't serving its usual snake meal, which he says is a shame because it's a winter institution that builds neighborhood camaraderie.
"This year the atmosphere hasn't been that good," he lamented.
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