Yes, Rattlesnakes can be eaten. In fact, in China and France, people often called snakes “hedge eels” or “brushwood eels.” Apparently the thought of eating snakes was too much for some people, but eels—they were yummy!
Since it is not easy making mince meat of a rattlesnakein west America, the snakesmany tiny ribs make the meat extraction process very hard and also a six-seven pound weighing snake might have only a pound or so meat on its body.
Rattlesnake is lower in fat than most of the meats available; it’s tender white meat with a mild flavor and texture like that of a crab. Snake meat can be very tough if not prepared well. Rattlesnake meat is commonly eaten in the Southwest, and popular recipes include rattlesnake chili and barbecued snake meat.
Other cultures generally eat their own, locally found snakes. Traditional South American medicine includes dried or powdered snake meat which is believed to cure several illnesses.
Snake meat is relatively low in fat and calories, high in protein and some consider it a rising star in the food industry. However, like any type of meat, it should be prepared and cooked carefully to make sure it does not result in infection or food poisoning. So now we know that rattlesnakes can be eaten.
Is snake meat good for health? It is believed in old Chinese medical books that snake soup has a number of medicinal benefits, including the cure of bodily ailments, blood nourishment, improvement of skin quality and increase in one’s qi or energy levels.
Content for this question contributed by Betsy Moeller, resident of Forestville, Sonoma County, California, USA
