User talk:Nat1957

Fried snakeskins

Fried snakeskins are considered a delicatessen in many countries, including Uruguay and many parts of the United States, like West Virginia and Oklahoma. They are quite tasty according to locals. The trick is in how they are cooked and the species of snakes fried. Many feel that boa constrictors have a unique flavor when fried, though others argue that copperheads have a more interesting flavor, somewhat tangy. When interviewing local specialty cooks in West Virginia, they claimed they never realized it was snakes that they were eating. It was something they had been consuming their entire lives. They commented that mixing the 'snake cover' with flour and corn flakes along with a pinch of garlic was the best recipe they had found. When asked how they prepared the meal, they replied that they simply threw the cover into the fry daddy and let it work it's magic. This recipe differed greatly from the ones we found in Oklahoma, where the locals stated they had a very specific way of preparing the skin before it was cooked. They found that airing the skin on a clothesline for 5 days (with no rain, preferably) made for the most appetizing meal. Once the skin was dried completely, they simply added a bit of salt and butter and threw it into a pan to fry. It is often served with a side of okra. While the recipes seemed very different, the product received the same reviews, it was in their words, 'to die for'. That being said, we wondered how they were able to even obtain the skin of these poisonous snakes to fry. We learned that the second oldest son in the family was designated to retrieve the coveted snakeskin meal. It was a tradition and a man-marking event. The father would take the son to an area known for housing poisonous snakes of these kind and leave him there with only a shovel. The motto that they live by is 'You can't kill a snake without a shovel'. They live and breathe by this motto and this is evident by their practices. Once dusk arrives, the boy is set out into the area and hunts for his prey. He has exactly 42 hours to return home with a deceased snake. We found this practice to be true in Uruguay, West Virginia, and Oklahoma, leading us to believe that this is the ritual for all areas who enjoy fried snakeskins. The trick is that the boy must not only kill the snake with a shovel but do it in a way that he does not harm the texture and taste of the skin. The skin must be lightly smashed by the middle and carefully not the tip of the shovel, which is an art in itself, especially when the boy is feared by the snake. It must occur in the upper 1/3 of the snakes body, and usually takes 7 hits, according to locals. Once the snake appears deceased, the boy must sit with it for 5 hours to ensure it is fully incapacitated and ready to return home for cooking. The numbers show that only 17% of boys between the ages of 13 and 15 return home from this event. 15% are never found, 33% are found with 2-3 fatal bites, and 35% appear to have passed from fright. That being said, those return home are 'treated like kings', according to locals. Once the snake has been declared dead, the boy must take a knife and carefully cut off the head. The meat is carefully retracted with the use of his right pinky finger, and takes approximately 3 hours to complete the process. Once the snake meat is extracted, the boy is able to return in a state of pure excitement and accomplishment. His family is often waiting up to greet him and reward him with the wife of his choice. We were told that there are many wives-to-be that never marry. After the snake is returned to the home town, it is ready to enjoy following each local areas procedures as described above. People come from all over the world to these areas to enjoy the local fried snakeskin.